Helping freight rail deliver for the economy
Ken Cox
Superintendent of Locomotive Reliability Center, St. Paul
Canadian Pacific
Prescott, WI
20 years in the industry
3 years in the military
Base: Fort Sill, OK
After 20 years in the freight rail industry, Ken Cox knows three things: winter is harder on locomotives than other seasons; North America's rail infrastructure is critical for the continued delivery of goods and supplies to people; and hiring military vets is a slam dunk for the railroads. For Cox, who manages Canadian Pacific's (CP) locomotive repair center in St. Paul, MN, the quality of vets hired is consistently high. “I'm really excited when I hire guys with a military background, because I know they've received extensive training,” he says. “Historically we've been keen on the military because of the caliber of people we get.” This reliable and experienced workforce helps keep CP’s locomotives delivering for the economy – regardless of the weather.
Before joining CP, Cox served in the army stationed at Oklahoma's Fort Sill. Trained in heavy equipment repair with experience in hydraulic, electrical and engine systems, he heard CP needed mechanics. He started as a laborer, became a set-up electrician and rose steadily up the company ladder. As a self-proclaimed “military brat” born in Germany and accustomed to moving, he went wherever promotions took him. “It was really easy for us to just pack up and go,” says Cox, fortunate to marry a woman who shares that philosophy. “The biggest challenge for me now is managing the volume of work that comes through with the heavy December through March repair and maintenance workload.”
If Cox occasionally uses work as an escape, few who know him would be surprised. In less than three years, he and his wife adopted five kids, now aged three to 13, so the house in Prescott, WI, can get a little crazy. “It's a madhouse when I get home,” he laughs. “Sometimes I come to work to take a break.” These days, Cox is focused on managing CP's St. Paul locomotive shop and its 225 employees. “In 20 years I've seen significant improvement in freight rail safety,” he says, optimistic about the industry's future. “As employees, we know that is the most important part of our job.”