Erich Smith, who joined Patriot Rail in 2021, currently holds the position of Vice President, Real Estate within the organization. In his capacity, Mr. Smith provides strategic direction and oversight of the company’s real estate group focusing on property acquisitions & divestitures, managing land use permitting and right-of-way corridor development, and industrial rail related land projects. His responsibilities also include involvement with various infrastructure grants and transportation projects, while engaging with public, private, and governmental agencies on land rights matters involving company assets.
His career spans over 20 years of land management experience across several industries in the title insurance, land development, and energy sectors. More recently having held several positions managing railway land portfolios for Florida East Coast Industries, the Florida East Coast Railway, and Omnitrax.
Erich holds a Bachelor of Arts from The Ohio State University in Biomedical Anthropology and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He is a member of the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC) and American Railway Development Association (ARDA).