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There have been concerns in the past that robotics will be used to replace people , but with the current labor shortages , robotics are now almost a necessity to supplement our workforce . As these robots will carry out welding , their implementation will also alleviate repetitive tasks for our employees .”
A hybrid approach
On the topic of investment , Tony reveals Greenbrier ’ s commitment to plants in both North America and Mexico . “ We have a total of five railcar manufacturing sites in North America – two in the US and three in Mexico ,” he says . “ Through our site visits , we ’ ve been sharing best practices with our teams . In Mexico , we ’ re now building a facility to specifically insource parts in Mexico to support manufacturing operations throughout the region .”
As our conversation draws to a close , Tony shares his thoughts on the evolution of the industry . “ The railcar market is typically cyclical , based on a seven-to-eight-year cycle
driven by the state of the global economy . So , we ’ re challenged with finding ways to retain business even in downturns . One of the things we ’ re doing is embracing what we call a hybrid approach , where we take existing cars and put them through our requalifying program to inspect the valves and integrity of the steel . This keeps them on the rail , allowing them to continue in operation as opposed to building entirely new cars .
“ Although we ’ re increasingly seeing more requalifying activity , our biggest challenge over the next few years is fully transitioning our operations and plants from new car facilities to hybrid ones that can not only manufacture cars but also effectively requalify existing ones ,” Tony concludes . “ Overall , we ’ ll continue to prioritize delivering high-quality railcars to our existing customers in North America and across the globe .” ■
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