(Norfolk Southern Corp. issued the following statement on March 18.)
NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern Corporation has issued its 2002 Annual Report, printing 206,000 copies and posting it on the company Web site,
In his letter to stockholders, David Goode, chairman, president and chief executive officer, writes that despite a “tough economic climate,” Norfolk Southern “made significant progress in 2002 and demonstrated that we are moving in the right direction.
“The past year was filled with challenge for everyone in business. Yet for us it was a year when our company showed its mettle. The value of expanding our system and diversifying our business base began to really pay off.
“We have an enviable transportation network, and we have the capacity to grow our business. We have invested in technology and infrastructure to serve existing customers better and add new ones. Most important, we have the people who have been tested by tough times, and they have accepted the challenge to strive for industry leadership in safety, service and value for our investors,” Goode says.
In other annual report highlights:
* Intermodal, general merchandise and coal customers review Norfolk Southern’s service improvements in profiles appearing throughout the front section.
* For the first time, the corporation’s Form 10-K report, a formal statement of financial information filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission Feb. 24, 2003, and available on the NS Web site, is published with the annual report. Shareholders and potential investors have access to more information than before in the annual report.
Norfolk Southern creates its annual report in-house, distributing it to stockholders, the financial community, news media and libraries. To request a copy, call 800-531-6757, e-mail annualreport@nscorp.com or write to Norfolk Southern Corporation, Public Relations Department, Three Commercial Place, Norfolk, Va. 23510-9217.
Norfolk Southern Corporation is one of the nation’s premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates 21,500 route miles in 22 states, the District of Columbia and Ontario, serving every major container port in the eastern United States and providing superior connections to western rail carriers. NS operates the East’s most extensive intermodal network and is the nation’s largest rail carrier of automotive parts and finished vehicles.