Genesee and Wyoming Acquires Georgia Southwestern Railroad

PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI) (NYSE:GWR) announced today that it has acquired the Georgia Southwestern Railroad, Inc. (Georgia Southwestern) for cash consideration of approximately $16.5 million and the assumption of $5.4 million in debt, subject to adjustment for final working capital.

Headquartered in Dawson, Ga., the Georgia Southwestern operates over 220 miles of track between (i) White Oak, Ala., and Smithville, Ga.; (ii) Cuthbert, Ga., and Bainbridge, Ga. and (iii) in and around Columbus, Ga. The Georgia Southwestern connects to GWI's Chattahoochee Industrial Railroad in Saffold, Ga., via trackage rights.

The Georgia Southwestern has 20 employees and 10 locomotives and carries approximately 10,000 carloads per year, primarily serving customers in the peanut, general agriculture, aggregate, animal feed and ethanol storage markets. It interchanges with Norfolk Southern, CSXT and the Heart of Georgia Railroad.

The Georgia Southwestern will be managed as part of GWI's Southern Region under the leadership of GWI Senior Vice President Gerald T. Gates. GWI expects the acquisition will be immediately accretive to its earnings per share.

GWI owns and operates short line and regional freight railroads in the United States, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands and owns a minority interest in a railroad in Bolivia. Operations currently include 63 railroads organized in nine regions, with more than 6,700 miles of owned and leased track and approximately 3,000 additional miles under track access arrangements. GWI provides rail service at 16 ports in North America and Europe and performs contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding Genesee & Wyoming's business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.

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Constitution Day Celebration at University of West Georgia Planned for September 17

The University of West Georgia and the Ingram Library will honor Constitution Day on Wednesday, Sept. 17, with a reception and intriguing dialogue about government, democracy and the Constitution.

The event is free and the community is invited to attend Dr. Robert M. Schaefer, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science and Planning, will lecture on “The American Constitution: A Celebratory Address (with an Admonition)” at 11 a.m. on the main floor of the library.

The presentation will focus on the establishment of American republic and the difficulty of preserving a constitution. Schaefer said the admonition is serious yet not preachy.

“This will be a political oration on behalf of the Constitution,” said Schaefer. “And to talk about the Constitution you have to talk about Rome, Athens and the difficultly of founding a good regime. The Constitution is fundamental to every aspect of our lives and it is important for citizens to give thought about what the Constitution means to this country.”

Constitution Day commemorates Sept. 17, 1787, which is the day the Constitutional Convention delegates signed the document. A federal law passed in 2004 requires all educational institutions that receive federal funds to observe Constitution Day.

Each year, the president issues a proclamation encouraging government officials and educational organizations to celebrate the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and reaffirm the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.

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A Day for Southern Campaign Sets New Record

Another year, another record Day. Bulloch County’s business and professional community along with Georgia Southern University faculty and staff donated $1,401,739 to the 35th annual A Day for Southern campaign. The record total also marks the 11th straight year the one-day fundraising drive has topped $1 million in contributions to Georgia Southern University.

"This year’s record total is incredible,” said Georgia Southern President Bruce Grube. “Georgia Southern University and Bulloch County have a special relationship that is more than a century old. We’re very appreciative of the community’s support in our efforts to continue to not only provide an excellent education, but to attract top-quality students."

A Day for Southern helps meet the needs that state funds do not cover. Proceeds go to the Georgia Southern University Foundation and Southern Boosters to support both academic and athletic programs at the University.

“The Bulloch County community has come through in a big way for us once again,” said Wendell Tompkins, Georgia Southern’s Director of Annual Giving. “Every year we see what a giving community this is, especially on A Day for Southern.”

In addition to today’s off-campus fundraiser, Georgia Southern University held its annual on-campus A Day for Southern campaign on Aug. 21. This year’s on-campus drive set a new high with more than $250,000 in donations from faculty and staff. The on-campus and community campaigns are combined to reach the total A Day for Southern contribution.

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Annual Fundraiser to Show the Difference A Day Can Make Set for September 9

Again this year, Georgia Southern University and the Bulloch County community are teaming up to show what a difference “A Day” can make.

The 35th annual A Day for Southern campaign is set for Tuesday, Sept. 9. Volunteers will collect donations from Bulloch County’s business and professional community during the one-day fundraising campaign to support the current and future needs of Georgia Southern University.

As Georgia Southern has grown, so has A Day for Southern. The first campaign was held in 1974 and raised over $60,000; last year’s campaign topped $1 million for the tenth year in a row.

“We cannot thank the Bulloch County community enough for all its support through the years,” said Wendell Tompkins, Georgia Southern’s Director of Annual Giving. “This is a very giving community, and we see that every year on A Day for Southern.”

Proceeds from A Day for Southern go to the Georgia Southern University Foundation and Southern Boosters to meet both the academic and athletic needs of the University.

The Georgia Southern Foundation uses a significant portion of the proceeds to help pay for the scholarships that are necessary to attract academically gifted students to campus.

In addition, A Day for Southern proceeds are used to support cultural and educational attractions like the Georgia Southern Museum, the Botanical Garden, the Performing Arts Center, and the Center for Wildlife Education and the Lamar Q Ball Jr. Raptor Center.

A Day for Southern benefits Southern Boosters as well. The organization manages money for student-athlete scholarships and supports the athletic department, which fields teams that compete in 15 varsity sports at the NCAA Division I level.

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