The Man Who Designed the Course for the Masters

The Masters Tournament, held each spring at the Augusta National Golf Club, has become an iconic event in golf. Since its inauguration in 1934, the tournament has drawn competitors playing at the top of their game. The list of golfing greats who have won multiple Masters includes Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods, and Phil Mickelson. Nicklaus holds the record for total number of Masters wins, at six. He, Faldo, and Woods are the only players to have won in consecutive years.

These players’ careers would have taken different paths were it not for Alister MacKenzie. The renowned golf course architect worked with the legendary Bobby Jones, newly retired after winning multiple championships in the US and UK, to design a course that would fulfill a longtime dream for Jones.

MacKenzie, known for designing courses throughout the British Isles and the world, fought convention by crafting bunkers with large-scale swaths of sand and holes canted away from the fairway’s line of sight, presenting new challenges to golfers. He took advantage of the natural features surrounding any course, using them to enhance the aesthetic experience of play.

MacKenzie gave his last effort to creating the Masters. The Yorkshire native and former British Army surgeon began the project in 1929, and he died the year of the first tournament. His original course has been altered, due to advancing technology and players' skill, but today’s golfers can still sense his devotion to the game.

Volunteers from CSX Dedicate Time to Washington, DC, School

More than 80 CSX employees volunteered to work alongside service partners from the Alliance for Community Trees, City Year, and Action for Healthy Kids in late April 2015. The volunteers spent time at an elementary school in Washington, DC and collaborated to enhance school facilities. The projects at the school represented the key focuses of the CSX “Beyond Our Rails” program: environment, community, safety, health, and wellness. Volunteers restored a basketball court, created a new school garden and greenhouse, planted trees across the campus, and painted stencils around the playground. In addition, they drew murals dedicated to safety along the hallways.

To honor the volunteers' contribution, CSX gave a grant to the Alliance for Community Trees to plant more native trees at another local school and provided sponsorship for the annual Earth Day Anacostia River Clean-Up undertaken by the Anacostia Watershed Society.

The events were part of CSX’s #LocalMotive campaign, which has created a forum to discuss the ways the company benefits local communities through service projects, job creation, and other activities. Individuals can take part in the conversation online at BeyondOurRails.org/LocalMotive.                            

CSX Launches Trees for Tracks “Treequel” at NASCAR Event

In April 2015, CSX Corporation launched the newest incarnation of its Trees for Tracks program at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500, held in Bristol, Tennessee. At the same event, NASCAR unveiled its Race to Green campaign, a part of the larger NASCAR Green initiative, which encourages the planting of trees. CSX started the Trees for Tracks program in 2009 and has since planted significantly more than the promised 21,000 trees, one for every mile of track. The program’s “treequel” doubles the goal to 42,000 trees planted by 2018.

At the event, NASCAR driver Chris Buescher, who normally drives a car decorated to promote the CSX Play It Safe initiative, applied Trees for Tracks graphics to the back of his Ford. In addition, he passed out autographed driver cards printed on seed paper that grows into flowers when planted. In commemoration of the new Trees for Tracks program, CSX vowed to plant 50 trees locally after the race, bringing the total of plantings up to 26,233.

The Trees for Tracks program targets communities around the nation in need of more green. The program also pushes for the planting of larger specimens known to establish quickly or varieties native to a site.                            

CSX Teams with Action for Healthy Kids to Promote Healthy Lifestyles

CSX corporate culture emphasizes the importance of an active, healthy lifestyle. While the company encourages its employees to lead healthy lives, it also seeks to improve the health of people around the nation. To meet this goal, CSX has renewed its partnership with Action for Healthy Kids, a nonprofit organization that works in schools to teach children and adolescents about healthy eating and motivate them to become more physically active.

For the 2015-16 school year, CSX will make up to 300 Every Kid Healthy Grants available through Action for Healthy Kids. These grants will fund initiatives at local schools to create healthier environments and physical activity programs. Throughout the year, CSX also sends employees to local schools to spearhead its Get in the Action events, which aim to get kids moving.

For employees, CSX has launched a Healthy Wage Program, which inspires individuals to create weight-loss teams and motivate each other to achieve health goals. Certain CSX offices also host farmer’s markets to allow employees to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables.

CSX Supports Hazardous Materials Training Facility in Virginia

To further its mission of supporting first responder preparation, CSX offered a $25,000 grant to the Hazardous Materials/CBRNE Training Facility in York County, Virginia, in March. The grant will enable the facility to purchase equipment to enhance education around rail-related hazardous materials. Funds will cover the creation of better railcar props and the installation of electrical and lighting equipment to improve night training. In addition, the facility will use the grant to create larger classrooms that can handle more trainees.

The Hazardous Materials/CBRNE Training Facility provides fire fighters and first responders with hands-on training in handling hazardous materials, especially in the case of rail incidents. CSX previously donated to the facility in 2011 and is proud to continue to help protect Virginia residents.

CSX’s outreach to first responders also includes the CSX Safety Train: Energy Preparedness Program, which has trained professionals from more than 350 organizations, and a mobile app that allows first responders to access train and cargo information should an incident occur.                            

Forbes Recognizes CSX as One of America’s Best Employers

Recently, Forbes magazine published a survey that recognized CSX as one of America’s Best Employers. The honor recognizes CSX’s commitment to employee development, as well as the company's excellent performance in several different business areas. CSX also strives to create a diverse, inclusive environment for employees and prides itself as a leading employer of American veterans. About 20 percent of CSX employees have served in the armed forces.

The company operates under a core value holding that “People Make the Difference.” By hiring and retaining the most talented employees from various backgrounds, CSX creates a challenging yet supportive work environment. The company offers competitive pay and great benefits to acknowledge the hard work of its employees. Individuals at CSX have access to industry-leading training opportunities, as well as a comprehensive health and wellness program. Employees also have many opportunities to give back to their communities and volunteer at local organizations.

The Forbes America’s Best Employers list surveyed more than 20,000 American workers at domestic and multinational companies, as well as hospitals, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies.

The CSX Corporation Employs a Customer-Centric Approach

A prominent transportation supplier with customers across the United States and Canada, the CSX Corporation has become known for its customer-centric approach and its dedication to developing innovative customer resources. At the most fundamental level, the company enables customers to track all of their shipments in North America. CSX organizes shipments based on categories such as yard availability and ETA, thus allowing customers to plan their inbound and outbound shipments with a high degree of precision.

In the same vein, the CSX Corporation draws upon its ShipCSX website to facilitate diversion requests. The company informs customers of their shipment status via multiple e-mail notifications and status indicators to reduce the burden of manual entry and ultimately improve diversion request turnaround time. Customers also have the ability to open erroneous billing directly from e-mail and make the necessary corrections in the ShipCSX tool. CSX also offers an in-depth inventory management system, through which customers can correct railcar inventory and submit plant switch requests.