Page 15 - BusinessWest August 31, 2020

Jeremy Levine says Pioneer Valley Railroad and Railroad Distribution Services have a unique business model that has led to decades of success and steady
growth.
On the Right Track
Pioneer Valley Railroad Is a Moving Business Success Story
By George O’Brien
When it comes to moving freight, Jeremy Levine says, many business owners believe it comes down to
a choice between rail — if it’s available — or trucks.
But in many cases, he believes, the best answer might be rail and trucks.
And this is the answer that has enabled West- field-based sister businesses Pioneer Valley Rail- road (PVRR) and its wholly owned subsidiary Railroad Distribution Services (RDS) — both Pinsly Railroad companies — to thrive for the past 35 years and remain on a steady growth trajectory.
“Railroads and trucking ... they have their lobbyists in D.C. on opposite sides of the aisle trying to argue against one another,” said Levine, who is awaiting new business cards that will identify him as the company’s business- development coordinator. “But the truth is, for a short-line railroad like us, we use trucking
all the time — we’re sending out hundreds of trucks a year to do the last-mile transit for our customers, either here in Westfield or all across the Northeast.”
As a short-line railroad, PVRR, as it’s known to many in this area, moves on 17 miles of oper- able track running north from Westfield, said Levine, the fourth-generation administrator of the company started by his great-grandfather, Samuel Pinsly. There is a branch running rough- ly four miles in Westfield and another branch running 13 miles into Holyoke.
The company interchanges with two class-1 railroads — Norfolk Southern and CSX — and takes freight that last mile, as Levine put it, referring to the last leg of a journey that might begin several states away or even on the other end of the country.
“If you want to get lumber from Louisiana, a large class-1 railroad such as CSX will bring that up, interchange with us at our yard in Westfield,
All Wallets Welcome Here
Even you, duct tape.
berkshirebank.com/PrivateBanking
Private Banking
Our Private Bankers manage all of your personal and business financial needs to simplify your life. To learn more we invite you to contact:
Beth Mineo at 413.523.7918
Banking products are provided by Berkshire Bank: Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Private Banking is the marketing name for an offering of Berkshire Bank deposit and loan products and services. Rev. 8/20
BusinessWest
FEATURE
AUGUST 31, 2020 15
Staff Photo