Kansas City Front Page - Kansas City Business and Technology News

Kansas City Business News
Kansas City Front Page is a weekly news publication, with daily updates, spotlighting attractions, events, business and hospitality in Kansas City.

Kansas City Front Page

Kansas City News

Power & Light District

Truman Sports Complex

KC Fountains

KCS to Move U.S. Customer Solutions Center and Network Operations Center to Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, (PRNewswire), December 29, 2008 - Kansas City Southern (KCS) (NYSE: KSU) and its U.S. subsidiary, The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCSR), has announced that in the first quarter of 2009, it will move its Customer Solutions Center (CSC) and then shortly thereafter, move its Network Operations Center (NOC) from Shreveport, La. to its corporate headquarters building in Kansas City, Mo.

The co-location of these centers with the sales and marketing, e-commerce, revenue and asset management and service design functions will help to streamline processes and promote synergies that will improve quality and enhance overall execution. These outcomes will be achieved through a new management approach and organizational structure.

The new CSC will be led by Kelly Platt, who was promoted from general director to assistant vice president business solutions. Ms. Platt joined KCSR in 1990 and has held a variety of positions in sales and marketing, pricing, analytics and revenue management with progressive responsibility. She is a 2009 candidate for an executive master of business administration from Rockhurst University and holds a bachelor of science in business administration from Park University. Ms. Platt reports to vice president business solutions Jorge Marquez, who is also responsible for international asset management.

Mr. Marquez has worked for the company for six years, providing oversight to customer service, fleet distribution, planning, marketing and pricing. Prior to rejoining the company, he was the director of operations of the business solutions division for Telefonica. Prior to that, he was subdirector of planning for TFM. Mr. Marquez holds a master of science in civil engineering with a specialization in railroad transportation from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.

In the CSC, Ms. Platt will be responsible for the tactical execution of KCSRÕs operations management approach, focusing on key performance indicators and ensuring delivery on service level commitments with both internal and external stakeholders. The CSC will be staffed with analysts who, using state-of-the-art technology, will proactively manage the service, analyze quality matters and coordinate solutions with operations.

The NOC functions, including dispatching and locomotive power distribution, will continue to be led by vice president transportation David Ebbrecht, who is also responsible for KCSR transportation. Mr. Ebbrecht has successfully implemented the same KCS operations management methodology to be used in the CSC and NOC into field operations.

Mr. Ebbrecht has 12 years' experience in the transportation logistics industry with KCSR and CSX, and an additional nine years as an aviation officer in the U.S. Army. He holds a master of business administration from the University of Missouri Kansas City and a bachelor of science in general engineering and psychology from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., KCS is a transportation holding company that has railroad investments in the U.S., Mexico and Panama. Its primary U.S. holding is KCSR, serving the central and south central U.S.

Watts Regulator Company Approved for State Tax Credits
KANSAS CITY, (PRNewswire), December 29, 2008 - Gov. Matt Blunt has announced that a Kansas City business has been approved for state tax credits from the Missouri Department of Economic Development under the Enhanced Enterprise Zone (EEZ) program to support 51 new jobs and $4.9 million in new investment in the Kansas City area.

"I am pleased we are able to help Kansas City with this important effort to enhance its economic development initiatives and create jobs for Missouri families," Gov. Blunt said. "Over the last four years we have continued to partner with Kansas City in seeking new opportunities to create and retain jobs in this community and throughout our state."

Watts Regulator Company, Kansas City, has been approved for $264,673 in EEZ tax credits over five years for the creation of 51 new jobs and new investment of $4,979,600 at 1401 N. Universal Ave., Kansas City. The business operations at the project facility will be a warehouse and distribution facility.

The Kansas City Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Kansas City area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 2007 - 2009 Moore Design Group.