Henry M. Chidgey

Seasoned executive and entrepreneur, known world wide as an expert in process, procedures, and systems. Strong strategic and analytical skills with impeccable personal integrity. Experience encompasses many industries, countries and cultures.

OSAGE INTERNATIONAL CONSULTING GROUP LLC  -currently

Mr. Chidgey is President and founder of Osage International, a business consulting practice that provides highly personalized support to CEOs, owners, and leaders of  companies that are striving to maximize growth and profitability in their enterprise. Clients have included GE Transportation Systems, Erie PA; Moss Bros, London UK; American Materials Company, Eau Claire WI; Kids 1, E Brunswick NJ; Res Net, Dubai, UAE; Russell Investment Group, Tacoma, WA; and Transentric Corporation, St Louis MO.

Henry also provides practical freight Railroad Consulting based on his extensive experience in Mechanical & Operating disciplines starting from entry level roles and rising to the top leadership positions. Practical, specific knowledge and wisdom.

LONE STAR LOCOMOTIVE LEASING LLC -currently

Mr. Chidgey is President of this Railway Locomotive leasing business that provides quality motive power to industrial clients across the US.

HEARTS ON FIRE- 2003-2004

Mr. Chidgey was President and Chief Operating Officer of this Diamond and Diamond Jewelry business in Boston MA. Started the company down the road from a start up company to an entrepreneurly spirited and professionally managed one. Sales grew from $39 million to $80 million including an acquisition and a new Asian subsidiary

FERRONORTE SA- 1997-1999

Mr. Chidgey was Director and Chief Operating Officer of this Brazilian Railroad Company that is constructing a new 1.6 meter gauge railroad into some of the potentially most productive agricultural land in the world. The first phase of the project, 400 km., was begun in January 1998, completed by April 1999, and was valued at more than $1 billion. The project is envisioned to ultimately connect the Port of Santos (near Sao Paulo) to the states of Matto Grosso and Matto Grosso do Sul and north to the Amazon River. The scope of the project is similar to the transcontinental railroad construction that occurred in the US in the 1800s, with similar opportunities for economic growth. The current phase includes two large inland grain terminals and a large ocean port terminal near Santos. Mr. Chidgey had responsibilities during these two years for operations, maintenance, engineering, marketing and sales, as well as acquisition of land, locomotives, freight cars, rail, and many other components and services.

RAILTEX 1995-1997

Mr. Chidgey was President and Chief Operating Officer and member of the Board of Directors of this company. After Mr. Chidgey left RailTex, it was acquired by another similar company. RailTex was a high growth publicly traded company with annual revenue of $150 million. It had about 800 employees and 26 railroad operations spread over the entire USA, two provinces of Canada, Brazil and Mexico. During Mr. Chidgey’s time at RailTex, same store profitability improved by more than 25%. The  Real Estate area of the company grew to contribute 10-20% of the annual operating profits. The arbitrage of real estate acquired coincidentally to the acquisition of light density “short line” railroads was important in both valuing the potential acquisition as well as improving cash flow and operating results for the company as a whole. Mr. Chidgey created business plans and negotiated the acquisitions of two large Brazilian railroads. Processes were implemented throughout the company to allow the transformation from a start up company to an entrepreneurly spirited and professionally managed one. He dealt extensively with both buy and sell side investment analysts, as well as investment bankers, since RailTex was a public, growth oriented stock.

SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD 1993-1995

Mr. Chidgey was Senior Vice President and Chief Mechanical Officer (CMO) of this rail transportation company, that at the time, had $3 billion in revenue. He was responsible for the acquisition, utilization, and maintenance of 2,500 locomotives and 80,000 freight cars, with nearly 4,000 people. He came to this role at a time when the SP had the worst locomotive fleet in the US (an asset worth approximately $2.5 billion) and in 18 months transformed it into one of the best locomotive fleets in the US. This also happened to be the highest performance level of a locomotive fleet ever experienced in the 100+ year life of this company. Unit costs of operation were reduced significantly. He negotiated the purchase of over $500 million of additional locomotives. He was active in the AAR Mechanical Executive Committee.

OTHER

1989-1993 Illinois Central Railroad Chicago, Illinois	Vice President, Chief Mechanical Officer, and Chief Safety Officer
1987-1989 Images USA  San Antonio, Texas	Founder and owner of this Fine Art Reproduction business
1968-1987 Southern Pacific Transportation Company
1986-1987 Assistant General Manager	Eastern Region Houston, Texas
1983-1986 Works Manager	Sacramento Locomotive Works Sacramento, California
1979-1983 Plant Manager,	Locomotive Running Maintenance Plant   San Antonio, Texas
1978-1979 Assistant Manager Production Scheduling	System   San Francisco, California
1977-1978 Controller Equipment Maintenance	San Francisco, California
1976-1977 Senior Assistant Terminal Superintendent	Pine Bluff, Arkansas
1974-1976 Assistant Terminal Superintendent	West Colton, California
1973-1974 Assistant Trainmaster	West Colton, California
1972-1973 Transportation Assistant   San Francisco, California and various other locations.	Participant in Management Development Program. Training in areas of freight car maintenance, locomotive maintenance, costing techniques, economic studies, sales, marketing, and accounting.
1968-1972 Switchman   San Antonio, Texas	Worked nights and attended college during the day.

EDUCATION

Harvard University –  OPM Program  1996-1997
University of Southern California Institute of Business Economics and Management  1984
APICS Certified Practitioner of Production and Inventory Control CPIM since 1982
University of Texas at Austin BS Mechanical Engineering with specialties in Nuclear Engineering and Operations Research  Graduated 1971

Personal

Married since 1973 to my life partner Mary. Two children; Kaylan (graduated from Texas A&M University with a MS in Industrial Engineering) and Marc (graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS in Industrial Engineering and currently a Senior Manager Track Maintenance with Union Pacific RR ). My primary interests are learning, business, and spending time in close proximity to wildlife. Mary and I enjoy creating and running small niche businesses, the most recent being www.DeerAge.com . I co-own Lone Star Locomotive Leasing, LLC which leases railway locomotives to the industrial customers. I also serve as a Director for the Red Flint Group, an international water filtration and frac sand & rock company in Eau Claire WI; and ResNet, a seamless CRS Solutions company in Dubai UAE.

June 2015