Norfolk Southern, the eastern U.S. railroad giant formed via merger in 1982, has coupled its PR account to Washington-based Stratacomm, following a competitive pitch.
NS, which uses the tagline "Thoroughbred of Transportation," runs 20,000 miles of routes in 22 states. It has five main PR staffers led by Frank Brown, assistant VP of corporate communications at NS.
Brown said the firm was hired to pitch the railroad as a "backbone of the American economy" as well as a "competitive advantage for the country."
The company has worked hard over the past few years to burnish environmental credibility, aiming to curb emissions from its diesel locomotives and to crack perceptions that railroads are heavy polluters.
John Fitzpatrick, managing partner at Stratacomm, an Omnicom unit under FleishmanHillard, said his firm will help the railroad communicate its heritage, economic and environmental role, and "vision of tomorrow."
NS posted 2012 revenue of $11B and net income of $1.7B. James Hixon, executive VP of law and corporate relations, oversees corporate communications, among other areas of the company.
Have a comment? Send it to 
No comments have been submitted for this story yet.