For LSRC, Changes at the Top

Lake State Railway was Railway Age’s 2021 Regional Railroad of the Year. (Kevin Burkholder Photograph)

Michigan-based Lake State Railway (LSRC) on June 18 reported that Mike Stickel, Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO), will transition to President and CEO, succeeding John Rickoff, who will become Board Chairman. Veteran railroader and former Carload Express Inc. CEO Mark Rosner will join the regional railroad to fill the EVP and COO role. Kevin Mitrzyk, LSRC’s current EVP and Chief Financial Officer, will assume an expanded role as Chief Administrative Officer, adding responsibility for the Human Resources and Government Affairs functions. The changes take effect July 15, 2024.

LSRC, Railway Age’s 2021 Regional Railroad of the Year, was established in 1992 and operates a 375-mile rail network that runs from Plymouth through its headquarters in Saginaw, up to Gaylord and Alpena; lines also run to Midland, Bay City, and Paines. Annual freight volume is approximately 60,000 carloads; commodities include automotive, aggregates, cement, agriculture, forest products, metals, and chemicals, among others.

“The planned changes in leadership roles follow a 14-year period of robust growth and modernization during [John] Rickoff’s tenure as CEO,” LSRC reported. “Under Rickoff’s leadership, LSRC has more than doubled its annual carloads since 2018 … Rickoff recruited [Mike] Stickel to join the LSRC team in 2013, where he has filled key roles in the commercial, operations and mechanical functions of the company.”

“Mike [Stickel] is a consummate railroader who has grown to know and shape this company end-to-end during his time here,” said 40-year-railroader John Rickoff, who in 2010 joined the LSRC Board and assumed the roles of President and CEO the same year, when LSRC founder James George died. “Mike [Stickel] has brought creative vision and leadership to the table that have helped us transform the railroad dramatically, from modernizing our physical plant to rebalancing our mix of business to enhancing and improving customer service. His transition to the role of President and CEO is one we’ve been looking forward to, and the company is energized to see him become the next leader of LSRC.”

Added Kevin Genieser, Managing Partner at Antin Infrastructure Partners, LSRC’s owner since 2022: “We’ve gotten to know Mike [Stickel] very well throughout the process of integrating LSRC into our portfolio, and we’re highly confident in his executive leadership ability and his knowledge and experience in virtually every aspect of the railroad industry. We’re looking forward to enthusiastically pursuing a shared vision for the future of the company with him.”

Also joining LSRC’s executive team is Mark Rosner, who got his start in railroading more than 35 years ago as a trackman and trainman for a short line before moving into management. He most recently led Carload Express, Inc., an operator of three short lines comprising more than 325 route miles of track in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

“Mark [Rosner] has an impressive and diverse list of career accomplishments,” said Mike Stickel. “During his tenure at Carload Express, he achieved the kind of strategic growth and operating record we’re looking to build on here in Michigan.”

Kevin Mitrzyk, who will become Chief Administrative Officer, began his railroad career with LSRC in February 1993 as a staff accountant. He was promoted to Controller in November 1993, to Chief Financial Officer in 2003, and to the additional position of EVP in 2018 while continuing to lead the accounting and administrative team.

“Throughout my career, I’m very fortunate to have been surrounded by innovative, passionate railroaders who approach the business with a spirit of entrepreneurship, and I’m the first to acknowledge that my abilities have been shaped and developed by those extraordinary people,” Mike Stickel concluded. “I can’t wait to build on this foundation and help our team take Lake State Railway to the next level.”