Rising Stars 2025: Jake Weir

Jake Weir, 39
Senior director of industrial development
R. J. Corman Railroad Group

Nominator’s quote: “Jake's leadership skills are evident in his forward-thinking approach to industrial development at R. J. Corman. He champions a strategy that looks to the future, encouraging innovation and challenging assumptions. Jake's ability to think outside the box and push others to do the same has led to the development of the best possible solutions for R. J. Corman's customers.” — Shannon Drown, R. J. Corman

Formal education: Bachelor's degree in civil engineering technology from Southern Polytechnic State University.

Job responsibilities: Help develop and oversee strategies related to industrial sites/buildings, economic development partner relationships and customer rail project management across all 19 railroads that make up the R. J. Corman network.

Briefly describe your career path.
I began working in Norfolk Southern Railway’s industrial development department as a co-op during college. Upon graduation, I was able to hire into that group as a planning engineer to support customer infrastructure projects. I spent the remainder of my time at NS as an industrial development manager, helping manage and oversee customer projects in various territories.

In 2024, R. J. Corman Railroad Group allowed me the opportunity to help establish their industrial development group and work in the short-line space, where I’m currently at today.

What sparked your interest in the rail industry?
I was always fascinated with trains as a child. I didn’t think my career was leading in that direction, though, as my plans were to graduate college and pursue a career in road design. I responded to a school email asking about interest in a co-op opportunity with Norfolk Southern because I needed a job to cover expenses. I didn’t even know what “industrial development” was or how civil engineering could play a role in that space, but Norfolk Southern took a chance on me anyway.

That co-op experience gave me an appreciation for how multifaceted the rail industry is and how important it is to our economy. That first semester as a co-op turned into a career, and I’ve never looked back!

What was your very first job and what did you learn from it?
My first “real” job was at the local Ace Hardware in my hometown of Toccoa, Georgia. I did a little bit of everything in that job, from working with customers to doing landscaping and handyman projects around the store.

The biggest takeaway for me was how to interact with customers. The customers didn’t always know what they needed or were looking for, so it was important to listen and help them find a solution. All these years later, that’s still what I do in my job every day. I also learned that a forklift can destroy a pallet of compost bags and make a big mess in the rain if you’re not careful.

What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I was valedictorian of my high school class.

Share a valuable lesson that you’ve learned so far in your career.
You can’t shortcut your way to success. Whether it’s a specific project, your career or life in general, you have to put in hard work and do things the right way to be truly successful.

Doing things the right way is generally not the easiest path, but I know that it pays dividends in the long run. Shortcuts may be a quick fix, but they always seem to come back to bite you down the road. I’m convinced that a solid reputation and good work ethic will open doors to all kinds of opportunities over the course of a career, without the need to shortcut the process.

How do you stay motivated and resilient when things get tough at work or in life?
First and foremost, I know that I’m able to get through any tough situation that comes my way because of my relationship with God Almighty and the strength He imparts to me.

Also, I have an incredible wife and son that count on me every day, so I’m motivated to dig deep and overcome any adversity in order to take care of my family. I’ve learned that tough times don’t last forever, and we come out stronger on the other side. So, you just have to hang on and persevere.

If you could share a meal with anyone alive in the world today, who would it be and why?
I’d honestly love to sit down with my entire extended family for dinner and simply catch up on life, just like on Thanksgiving or Christmas when I was younger. Several of us moved away for one reason or another, and it’s hard now to get everyone together due to distance and schedules.

From your point of view, what is the rail industry’s greatest challenge?
Looking through the industrial development lens, I think one of the biggest challenges we face as an industry is the limited availability of quality sites and buildings that have (or can have) rail access. It’s hard to find sites that have the perfect overlap of rail, road and utility access with available capacity, will be supported for industrial use and are ready for development.

I think it’s extremely important to protect rail-adjacent properties for rail-oriented development and preserve rail access to existing facilities. Without these locations available along our rail lines, railroads cannot be well-positioned to support our customer base as they look for rail solutions to their new location or expansion needs.