Who We Are

Kevin Cook
President
Kevin Cook
President

Cook spent two years as the Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Business Development for MRC before being named President in October 2021. Prior to joining our team, Cook spent nearly two decades at Midland Manufacturing, a producer of railroad tank car safety valves and equipment. He served as General Manager while at Midland, introducing several innovative products to grow revenue internationally. He also helped establish new standards that significantly improved the safety of transporting hazardous chemicals by rail.

Masami Murakami
Executive Director
Masami Murakami
Executive Director

Murakami has over 30 years of experience in various positions with JA Mitsui Leasing, Ltd, including several different industries (Railcar, Aviation, Shipping, Real Estate, Manufacturing Equipment, etc.). He is responsible for executive oversight of MRC and its strategic alignment with JA Mitsui Leasing.

Robin Andersen
VP of Operations
Robin Andersen
VP of Operations

Robin is responsible for fleet operations, mechanical/logistics services and all mechanical management services. He also serves on MRC’s management team. Robin has over 20 years of experience in railcar maintenance and has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting.

George Abraham
VP of Finance & Treasurer
George Abraham
VP of Finance & Treasurer

Abraham joins our team after coming from SMBC Rail Services, which went through noteworthy growth during his tenure serving as Assistant Vice President of Finance since 2015. During his tenure with SMBC, he was responsible for day-to-day operations for the company’s finance and accounting needs. He helped oversee the financial and accounting support of a multi-billion-dollar acquisition. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Marietta, traveling and caddying for his son and daughter on the golf course.

Bryan F. Vaughan
VP of Sales, Marketing and Business Development
Bryan F. Vaughan
VP of Sales, Marketing and Business Development

Vaughan joined MRC with 15 years of experience with Class 1 railroads, which included EDI implementation, rail cost analysis and product line management, as well as sales for large bulk commodities accounts. Prior to joining MRC, Vaughan served as Commercial Leader of Sales and Marketing for Railcar Leasing at VTG Rail for six years. He also served as International Director of Sales and Marketing while at Canadian National Railway for six years and Vice President of Sales and Marketing while at GE Capital Rail Services (GERS) for a decade.

Jason Lutz
Senior Director of Sales & Marketing
Jason Lutz
Senior Director of Sales & Marketing

Jason leads the sales and marketing activities in the Gulf Coast. Jason brings over 20 years of industrial sales and marketing experience and has been in the rail industry since 2009.

Nick Smith
Director of Sales and Marketing
Nick Smith
Director of Sales and Marketing

Based out of the Philadelphia area, Smith provides a wider presence for us to serve clients with a focus on the East Coast and parts of the Midwest. Prior to joining MRC, Smith spent the past 14 years at Union Pacific – the last four in Philadelphia as a Senior Manager of Sales in the Chemicals department before acting as a Senior National Account Manager on the Premium Intermodal team. An Alabama native, Smith also spent 10 years serving in both marketing and sales capacities at UP’s headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska.

Jeff Rasmussen
Director of Sales and Marketing
Jeff Rasmussen
Director of Sales and Marketing

Jeff Rasmussen joined MRC as a Director of Sales and Marketing with more than 30 years of rail experience – including more than 20 specifically in rail leasing. Rasmussen’s efforts will focus on territories including the Upper Midwest, Pacific Northwest and Western Canada.

Ashley Dietiker
Commercial Operations & Customer Service Manager
Ashley Dietiker
Commercial Operations & Customer Service Manager

Dietiker comes to MRC with more than eight years of experience in the rail industry. Before serving as Operations Manager at Infinity Transportation, she was Rail Fleet Administrator and Fleet Maintenance Coordinator for VTG Rail, which she joined in 2014. While at VTG, she managed maintenance for a rail fleet of more than 6,300 cars, coordinating with customers to ensure timely delivery. She also provided critical organizational leadership during her time at VTG, keeping projects on track and updating information on new car deliveries.

What We Believe In

INTEGRITY

RESPONSIVENESS

ACCURACY

FRIENDLINESS

Modern Rail Capital mission vision values

Our Mission

Our responsive customer service, flexible leasing options and well-maintained railcars help our customers succeed by freeing more capital and time for them to use on other parts of their business.

Our Vision

We will grow a diverse fleet while maintaining our responsive service, built on a deep understanding of our customers’ businesses and sound long-term decisions.

Our Values

Everything we do is centered around integrity, accuracy, transparency and respect. We never stop striving to exceed expectations of our satisfied customers.

 

Why We Care

Since 1996, we’ve believed in treating our clients – and our employees – the right way. That’s how we develop relationships that keep us performing at a high level and exceed expectations for our customers and stakeholders.

Rail shipping is a staple of American business. There are countless parties involved with maintaining a healthy economy and we believe we play an important role: keep your business humming by providing diverse railcar options, flexible financial options and a comprehensive understanding of your needs. We’ll handle the rail shipping aspects of your business – and keep you moving.

How We Help the Environment

As environmental standards and fuel costs have increased, rail transportation has become a more important part of today’s supply chain. Rail transportation is now the obvious environmentally responsible choice.

A gallon of diesel fuel moves one ton of freight an average of 406 miles by rail – three times more fuel-efficient than trucks. That means less costs, greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.

Moving more freight by rail also reduces traffic congestion, improving air quality and automobile fuel efficiency. For example, a single intermodal train can take 280 trucks (equal to 1,100 cars) off congested highways. Trains carrying other types of freight can take up to 500 trucks off the road. It’s estimated that switching 85% of long-haul trucking to rail could reduce U.S. oil consumption by almost 12% and total U.S. emissions by about 4%.