Christensen Associates Awarded a Study of Railroad Competitiveness
The U.S. Department of Transportation, acting on behalf of the Surface Transportation Board, has awarded a 14-month contract to Christensen Associates for A Study to Focus on Competition in the Railroad Industry to Review and Analyze Various Proposals that Might Enhance Competition. Christensen Associates' proposal was selected in a competitive bid process. The award was announced by the Surface Transportation Board on September 13, 2007.
The Christensen Associates team for this engagement includes two of the firm's founders, Douglas Caves and Laurits Christensen. Christensen Associates, established in 1976, began its railroad consulting effort based on the joint academic work of Caves and Christensen with Joseph Swanson. That work defined the economic construction of economies of density for network-based industries. This underlying concept proved a significant element in thinking about deregulation and mergers in the North American railroad industry.
The project manager for this engagement is Joseph Swanson, an affiliate of Christensen Associates. Swanson also serves as President of Jos. Swanson & Co. based in Milwaukee, WI; and as Adjunct Professor of Finance at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Kelly Eakin, Senior Vice President of Christensen Associates, serves as associate project manager.
Carl Degen, President of Christensen Associates offered these observations:
"We at Christensen Associates are delighted with the Surface Transportation Board's award of this contract. Our firm, and Jos. Swanson & Co., have a long history of providing economic analysis of transportation and other network industries. Our experiences across many regulated, deregulating and unregulated industries provide us with the perspectives and skills needed to conduct objective and rigorous analysis of the issues the Surface Transportation Board has asked us to consider."
©2010 Laurits R. Christensen Associates