September 15, 2026
Last week, employees from Progress Rail Services met with students at the Mayfield-Graves County Area Technology Center (ATC), continuing their support of Power in Partnership, a joint initiative between the ATC and Graves County Economic Development (GCED) that brings professionals into the classroom to share their expertise and offer career advice.
Justin Clapp, Matthew Lancaster, and Vicki Morgan talked with second-year welding and machining students about job opportunities at Progress Rail and the skills assessments that are part of the hiring process.
“I enjoyed having the opportunity to speak with the future generation of our workforce about day-to-day operations and my experience at Progress Rail,” said Lancaster. Clapp agreed: “I had a great time speaking with these young adults about the jobs they may be performing in the future.”
Morgan, Progress Rail’s Human Resources Manager, worked with GCED to coordinate the visit and offered students valuable insights about the hiring process.
“When education and industry work together, students gain a clearer vision of their future,” said Morgan. “We appreciate the opportunity to connect with local students and highlight the rewarding careers available in Mayfield.”
“Thanks to Progress Rail for taking time to speak to our students and to GCED for collaborating with us on Power in Partnership,” said ATC Principal Josh Heisner. “Our staff talks about careers, but these visits are powerful tools to capture students’ attention. Talking with employees who actually perform these jobs on a daily basis inspires our students to believe they can do the same.”
Progress Rail is one of the largest providers of rolling stock and infrastructure solutions and technologies for global rail customers. Their Mayfield facility serves as Progress Rail’s locomotive engine remanufacturing Center of Excellence.
Last year, Progress Rail invested millions to expand the Mayfield facility, increasing locomotive engine production by 25 percent. The company completed 300 new engines and delivered 1 million units of horsepower to the market.
“We are proud of Progress Rail’s achievements and grateful for everything they do to give back to the community,” said GCED President Jason Lemle. “Through their support of Power in Partnership, Progress Rail is helping build a well-prepared workforce and creating a vision of opportunity for these young people that will provide benefits for generations. We appreciate their support.”
The ATC is located on the Mayfield High School campus and serves students from Mayfield Independent Schools, Graves County High School, and Carlisle County High School.
Progress Rail is one of the largest integrated diversified providers of rolling stock and infrastructure solutions and technologies for the global rail industry. Their Mayfield facility serves as Progress Rail’s locomotive engine remanufacturing Center of Excellence. The company provides advanced EMD® locomotives, engines, and technologies, railcars, trackwork, fasteners, signaling including ECM™ solutions, along with dedicated locomotive and freight car repair services, aftermarket parts support, and recycling operations.
