32 Reasons to Do Business in Gonzales

Meet TXGN Railway: Gonzales’ short line rail provider

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(Editor’s Note: The Gonzales Inquirer, in conjunction with the Gonzales Economic Development Corporation (GEDC), has teamed up to sponsor a series of articles called 32 Reasons to Do Business in Gonzales. For the next 32 weeks, The Inquirer will be running a series of stories on industry, business and retail entities detailing what is special about Gonzales and why this is a great place to work. If you would like to suggest a story or business, or if you would like to help sponsor this series, please contact Genora Young at the EDC office or Terry Fitzwater at The Inquirer.)

Located six miles north of Gonzales on the way to Harwood, Texas is a hidden jewel in the Gonzales economic community.
It is the Gonzales Short Line Railroad.
The business is not called that—the company that operates the 3500-rail yard is known as TXGN Railway, a division of the TNW corporation.
Texas Gonzales and Northern Railway (TXGN) provides rail transport, storage and operations for companies in Texas’ central heartland. Located midway between Gonzales and Harwood, TXGN owns and/or manages 13 miles of main track between Harwood and Gonzales, and approximately 50 miles of storage and loop track. TXGN interchanges with the Union Pacific Railroad in Harwood and handles several thousand rail cars carrying energy-related products, grain and animal feed meals, clay/bentonite, and raw and finished heavy metal products. Local companies who utilize the Gonzales Short Line Railroad include Purina, BYK, Tyson, and other major shippers in Gonzales County.
Plus, the property still has 50 acres of raw land inside the 400-acre TXGN loop, specializing in warehousing, railcar cleaning, transload and distribution.
“We’ve been here for over six years,” said Steve Gresham, General Manager of the TXGN Railway operation. “When I first arrived here about six years ago, there was very little infrastructure onsite. My boss, who is the VP of operations, and I came down here and we immediately started a multi-phase project that saw us move hundreds of tons of earth so we could build these track lines to service Gonzales.
“When we built new track, we had to build new berms to support the track over the lower elevation,” Gresham said. “It took us a couple of years to get that done, but now we can move freight, feed or fuel from the switching ground in Harwood all the way into Gonzales over 12 miles of good track.”
Gresham said that one of the great things about his company and its location is that it is close enough to Gonzales to be convenient, but far away enough as to reduce all noise pollution.
“Another great reason to do business here in Gonzales is the relationships we have built with the community,” Gresham said. “We are partnering with good business people, and Genora Young and her team at the GEDC are second to none. They are aggressive and will do anything to accommodate our needs if possible. I call her every two or three weeks just to stay in touch and see if anything is new or what we can do to help her out.”
“TXGN Railway is one of the major reasons why Gonzales has the ability to grow in the future,” Genora Young said. “They are creative for business and industry, and really cooperative in the working relationship. They are one of the reasons why we will be able to grow business here.”
TXGN’s operations in Gonzales include the Eagle Ford Logistics Center, a 400-plus acre warehousing and service compound. This operation provides facilities for transload operations, product and railcar storage and lay down space, railcar cleaning and repair, railcar switching, state-certified weight scale, easy truck access to I-10, and has tenant sites available for warehousing and commercial development.
TNW Corporation is an industry leader in rail transportation logistics and short line railroad operations. For more than three decades, TNW has been a vital link between companies in our service areas and their regional and national markets; evolving into a full-service firm that focuses on the creation of successful business ventures.
In addition to work with clients and strategic partners, TNW fosters strong economic and social partnerships with local communities to support a better quality of life for their citizens. TNW is proud of its heritage of service and progress that short line railroads have established and continues to be an important catalyst in local community growth.

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