Life on the Rails

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

The interesting part was at the end since my team focuses on projects we said it was quite possible to bid a project that way; but since Knorr-Bremse in Europe is exclusively a products based company he was looking for something he could sell to a railroad.  Since there are already satellite receivers and GNSS for rail that really wouldn't work.  It was quite a clash of perspective.

So Knorr-Bremse in the Americas is a systems integrator that supports the end users of rail technology, but Knorr-Bremse in Europe is a company that makes components and is the likes of a company that Knorr-Bremse in the Americas would buy from on a project?  That seems like an odd construction on the part of the parent company, especially if your bit isn't already buying its products from the European bit.

[Savonarola]

The interesting part was at the end since my team focuses on projects we said it was quite possible to bid a project that way; but since Knorr-Bremse in Europe is exclusively a products based company he was looking for something he could sell to a railroad.  Since there are already satellite receivers and GNSS for rail that really wouldn't work.  It was quite a clash of perspective.

So Knorr-Bremse in the Americas is a systems integrator that supports the end users of rail technology, but Knorr-Bremse in Europe is a company that makes components and is the likes of a company that Knorr-Bremse in the Americas would buy from on a project?  That seems like an odd construction on the part of the parent company, especially if your bit isn't already buying its products from the European bit.

Mostly, Knorr-Bremse's sole US division before acquiring the current KB Signaling (my division) from Alstom was New York Air Break.  They're entirely a component company that supplies onboard equipment.  Purchasing us is their attempt (I hope a successful one) to enter the signaling market.  KB Signaling does manufacture electronic signal components as well as integrating systems.  A major concern (of mine, at least) is that they'll decide not to continue with projects and focus exclusively on products.