Overview of Professional Engineering Staff Experience

Starfire employs an experienced, professional staff of engineers, graphic designers, technicians and management staff hwho bring many years of accomplished and diverse talents to the table when called upon to provide services to our ever broadening customer base.

ENGINEERING

Starfire's engineering group is made up of individuals with diverse but complimentary backrounds, in mechanical/structural and electrical disciplines. Currently, one-half of our engineers have earned multiple degrees in their respective fields of study. Additionally, one half of the engineering team have acquired their Professional Engineers licenses, while the remaining staff are registered Engineers-In-Training. Starfire's engineers are licensed PEs in Kansas, Montana, and in the Province of Quebec, Canada.

The base of engineering experience is substantial, ranging from three years to an impressive thirty-five years in the field of engineering. Activities are lead by our company President, Andrew J. Spurlock, P.E., who earned his analytical, design and leadership chops while working as the Chief Mechanical Engineer for the Burlington Northern Railroad.

The entire engineering staff draws from a variety of personal, business and educational backgrounds. This diversity has enabled Starfire to be flexible, responsive, and creative when delivering on a wide variety of rail-related projects. From freight car, passenger or transit car, to locomotive, track and bridge projects, Starfire absolutely delivers for our customers.

Starfire's engineering group is ultimately the sum of all of its individual parts. The substantial background of our engineering staff includes the following (individual) cumulative qualifications:

17 years at a Class One Railroad
25 years with a current major railcar builder
35 years in engineering project planning, management and customer service
50 years rail car analysis and new car/modification design expertise

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Starfire's graphics design/drafting team consists of a group of creative individuals with broad backgrounds in areas such as:

Our graphics staff works hand in glove with the engineers, transferring the engineer's conceptual design into detailed drawings, thus providing a finished document that accurately reflects the needs and desires of the end customer. The graphics staff approaches each project with a "hands on" knowledge and a full appreciation of how designed parts will be realized in the manufacturing environment.

Our staff has proficiency with 2-D and 3-D modeling, as well as proficiency in a number of other programs used for illustrations and for developing concept designs for customer promotions (such as CorelDRAW, Adobe Photoshop and Painter).

The Bottom Line: For over eighteen years Starfire's graphics team has been responsible for drawing packages for more than 15 new freight car designs as well as dozens of successful modification and upgrade drawing packages for freight car, transit, passenger car, track, bridge and locomotive projects.