Newsmakers in Transportation & Automotive

Earl E. Newman, Springfield assistant director of Public Works/Traffic Engineering, was elected the 2006 vice president of the Institute of Transportation Engineers International. Election results were announced Aug. 7 at the organization’s 75th anniversary annual meeting and exhibit in Melbourne, Australia. Newman will have the opportunity to serve as the organization’s president in 2007. He has been a member of the association for more than 33 years, and he has 36 years of professional engineering experience. Newman has worked with the city of Springfield for 25 years, and has served in his present position for seven years.

Jason Haynes, public works project engineer in Springfield, was selected as a winner of one of 10 $1,500 scholarships by the Institute of Transportation Engineers. The scholarship paid for Haynes’ attendance at the 2005 ITE annual meeting, held Aug. 6–10 in Melbourne, Australia. All finalists were young engineers with outstanding records of accomplishments in the profession and had to write an essay to enter the competition.

The first Springfield New Car Dealers Association Car Show brought in a $2,750 donation for Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield. The car show, held March 11–13, is designed to become an annual event. The show featured new vehicles from member-dealerships of the New Car Dealers Association.

The 75-mile motorcycle ride held July 30 in memory of Travis MacWhithey raised nearly $2,500 to support YMCA swimming lessons for youth and adults. MacWhithey was 17 when he died in a 2001 water accident. Twenty-eight cyclists participated in the motorcycle ride, which his family wanted to use to raise money so that other families would not suffer such losses of loved ones.

Springfield-based Prime Inc. announced Aug. 3 a purchase agreement for 3,000 Wabash National Corp. refrigerated vans. Per the three-year agreement, Prime Inc. will buy Wabash National’s ArticLite trailers. According to a Prime Inc. news release, the agreement includes an option to expand the total number of units to 5,000 over the next six years. Trailer production is expected to begin in September. Robert Low, CEO and founder of Prime, said in the release that the company conducted thorough assessments of refrigerated trailer models before selecting Wabash. Indiana-based Wabash National Corp. designs, manufactures and markets custom and standard truck trailers.

Mark Watterson was promoted to national sales manager for KO Pressure Supply, the retail sales division of Springfield-based KO Manufacturing Inc., which provides chemicals, parts and supplies, and cleaning equipment sales and services. Watterson holds a bachelor of science degree in marketing from Southwest Missouri State University, and he has more than 15 years of sales experience. In his new position, he is responsible for all U.S. retail chemical sales and the management of retail sales personnel.

The Missouri Department of Transportation received the Missouri Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Legacy Award 2003-06. The award was presented June 10. It recognizes state agencies and private individuals that demonstrate the spirit of discovery, achievement and wonder fostered by the original expedition. MoDOT’s support of the Missouri Lewis and Clark bicentennial included developing new signs that designated Lewis and Clark historic attractions and interpretive panels.

Several area drivers received honors at the 2005 Missouri Truck Driving Championships, held June 3–4 at John Q. Hammons Trade Center in Joplin. Rodney Cain of Roadway Express won third place in the three-axle class. Remy Braun of D & D Sexton won first place in the five-axle van class. Joseph Boudreaux Jr. of D & D Sexton won third place in the sleeper berth class. Tom Carr of Roadway Express won second place in the twin trailers class.

Prime Inc. named its drivers of the month for May, recognizing six drivers for their overall service records, professionalism and positive representation of Prime Inc. The refrigerated division named Floyd Carpenter as its driver of the month and Ernett Hilton and Jason Murray as the driving team of the month. Dean Walker was named driver of the month for Prime’s flatbed division, and Johnnie C. Bailey was named driver of the month for Prime’s tanker division. The company driver of the month was Frank W. Gedman.