“Tackling Impediments to Market Share Growth — What the Railroads and Union Pacific in Particular Have to Do to Grow Their Market Share” is the topic of a speech to be given Thursday by James Shattuck, a Union Pacific Railroad executive.

The lecture will begin at 2 p.m. in Room 204-208 of the Scheman Building. It is the sixth annual R. Dale Voorhees Distinguished Lecture at Iowa State.

Shattuck will examine what the railroad industry needs to do to be more competitive in today’s business world, according to Mike Crum, ISU transportation and logistics professor.

Shattuck is also expected to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of railroad transportation, Crum said.

Shattuck will speak to a transportation and logistics class and with business faculty while he is on campus.

“Railroad buffs and those people who have an interest in railroading would enjoy the lecture,” Crum said.

Transportation and logistics majors, ISU alumni and faculty from the business college are expected to attend, he said.

Shattuck is the executive vice president of marketing and sales for Union Pacific Railroad.

He has also worked for other railroads, including Southern Pacific and Missouri Pacific. At Missouri Pacific he was responsible for developing and implementing an $80 million transportation control system.

He began working as president and chief executive officer of Union Pacific Technologies in 1987, and in 1991, he became the vice president for marketing.

In 1993, he was promoted to his current position as executive vice president of marketing.

The Voorhees Lecture Series began in 1991 to honor R. Dale Voorhees, a professor emeritus in Iowa State’s College of Business.

After serving as a United States Air Force officer for 30 years, Voorhees came to ISU in 1971 to teach courses in transportation and logistics.

The lecture is open to the public and a reception will follow.