Investors trying to take control of Norfolk Southern railroad pick up key support
The activist investors trying to take control of Norfolk Southern are picking up key support
The activist investors trying to take control of Norfolk Southern's board are picking up key support, but the railroad's CEO promised Monday to fight the takeover attempt until a May 9 shareholder vote because he believes his strategy is the best in the long run for investors, customers and workers.
Ancora Holdings' bid to elect seven new directors and replace management at the Atlanta-based railroad has gained the backing of one of the major proxy advisory firms, one of the railroad's biggest customers and two of its largest labor unions in recent days.
But CEO Alan Shaw said he believes he still has the support of most of the railroad's workers, investors and customers.
“The choice really couldn’t be any more clear for our shareholders,” Shaw said an interview with The Associated Press. “We make promises and we’ve continued to keep our promises, and we will continue to deliver. And we’ve got a long-term vision for Norfolk Southern where shareholders win, as opposed to the activists who’ve got a short-term and erratic approach where shareholders lose.”
The main issue is whether Shaw's strategy of keeping additional resources on hand during a downturn and his investments in safety are the best course for the railroad that has been in the spotlight ever since a fiery derailment in eastern Ohio in February 2023. Ancora — and the former UPS and CSX railroad executives the investors nominated to lead Norfolk Southern — argue that a dramatic overhaul of the railroad's operations is needed to streamline the way its trains move and bring Norfolk Southern's profits in line with its peers.
Proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis said in a
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