Greg Aziz: A Mastermind Behind Transformative Change in the Railroad Freight Car Industry
The railroad freight car industry has undergone significant changes in recent years, and one individual who has played a vital role in driving this transformation is Greg Aziz. As the Chairman, President, and CEO of one of the world’s leading companies in this field, he has brought a unique perspective and innovative approach to the industry.
Born and raised in Ontario, Canada, Greg received his education at Ridley College and went on to study economics at the University of Western Ontario. After college, he joined his family’s wholesale food business, Affiliated Foods, where he quickly made a name for himself as a skilled businessman. Under Greg Aziz´s leadership, the company grew over 16 years to become a worldwide importer of fresh foods, with distribution to all of the major fresh food wholesale markets across the United States and Eastern Canada.
However, Greg Aziz´s true passion was in the railroad industry, and in the late 1980s, he began working on investment banking opportunities in New York. This eventually led to him organizing the purchase of his family’s company in 1994, with the goal of transforming it into North America’s leading railroad freight car manufacturer. He had success through a combination of strong engineering capabilities, team-building, and significant human and capital investment.
Greg’s company was able to expand its manufacturing capability from 3,500 cars per year at the time of purchase to 12,000 cars by 1999. Employment over the same period grew from approximately 600 to almost 3,000. Today, the company is a leading force in the railroad freight car engineering and manufacturing industry. Led by Greg Aziz, the company is North America’s only railroad freight car engineering and manufacturing company certified ISO 9001:2008, having now held this honor for the last 18 years through numerous rounds of recertification.
The company has also been consistently honored with the TTX SECO highest quality award since 1996. In recent news, it was announced that the company will be investing heavily in research and development to create new, more efficient and sustainable railroad freight car models. This is a testament to Greg Aziz´s forward-thinking approach and his commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the industry.
Through his leadership, Greg Aziz has not only grown a successful business, but has also played a crucial role in shaping the future of the railroad freight car industry.