Watch Now


Rail equipment provider files Chapter 7, cites ‘cash flow issues’

MP&ES founder claims major customer ‘defaulted on a project payment’ of over $2.5M

South Carolina-based Motive Power & Equipment Solutions files Chapter7. Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves

A South Carolina company that remanufactured locomotives and provided railcar servicing and repairs for railroads filed Chapter 7 this week, just days after one of its customers sought to force the company into arbitration for alleged breach of contract.

Motive Power & Equipment Solutions, doing business as MP&ES, headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, filed its petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina on Tuesday.

According to court documents, the company said it was forced to close because of “cash flow issues” after one of its major customers “defaulted on a project payment” of over $2.5 million.

Just days before MP&ES filed its bankruptcy petition, one of its customers, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Inc., headquartered in Durango, Colorado, filed a petition for arbitration against the company. It claimed MP&ES failed to meet established deadlines to produce and deliver components for two diesel locomotives costing the passenger railroad over $3 million.


MP&ES’ attorney Randy Skinner did not return FreightWaves’ request for comment.

In its filing, the company lists assets of up to $50,000 and liabilities of $1 million to $10 million and has up to 199 creditors. The company maintains that no funds will be available to unsecured creditors after administrative expenses are paid.

Several trucking, logistics and rail services companies, listed as unsecured creditors, are owed millions of dollars, however, the exact amounts the companies are owed isn’t listed in the petition.

According to the Greenville County Register of Deeds office, David Wilkerson, who served as president and CEO of MP&ES, sold the land where the company is located for $475,000 to Palmetto Trust of SC LLC in August without alerting customers.


In court documents, an employee who works for one of Durango’s sister companies drove to the MP&ES site in Greenville in January and noticed that the company’s signs had been removed and the property “appeared to have been deserted for a while.”

A creditors meeting is set for 9:30 a.m. on April 14.


Who killed Roger Kelly? Trucker’s case remains unsolved 22 years later
‘People’s Convoy’ begins rolling to Washington with message against COVID restrictions
Massachusetts logistics company folds, files Chapter 7

Watch the latest news from FreightWaves Now here:

5 Comments

  1. japege7054

    I am making $150 every hour by working on the web at home. A month ago I have gotten
    $19723 from this activity. This activity is exceptionally astounding and its normal
    income for me is superior to anything my past office work. This activity is for all and
    everyone can without much of a stretch join this correct now by utilize this link.
    Copy Here……===))> https://www.fuljobz.com

  2. xegoni3579

    Make everyone ( £26,000 __ £38,000 ) A Month Online Making money online more than £15k just by doing simple work With No Prior q Experience Or Skills Required. Be Your Own Boss And for more info visit any tab this site Thanks a lot just

    open this link.======>……… https://www.salarybaar.com/

  3. Amy

    I get paid over $190 per hour working from home with 2 kids at home. I never thought I’d be able to do it but my best friend earns over 10k a month doing this and she convinced me to try. The potential with this is endless. Heres what I’ve been doing..
    Copy HERE ===))> 𝐡𝐭𝐭𝐩𝐬://𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦

    1. Jenny Marchand

      I get paid more than 💰$145 to 💰$395 per HOUR for working online. I heard about this job 3 months ago and after joining this I have earned easily 💰$23k from this without having online working skills . Simply give it a shot on the accompanying site…
      COPY AND OPEN NOW…………………….…>>> http://Www.WorkSite24.Com

  4. Margaret Skeete

    Makes 💵$340 to 💵$680 per day online work and I received 💵$21894 in one month online acting from home. I am a daily student and work simply one to a pair of hours in my spare time. Everybody will do that job and online ask extra cash by simply
    copy and open this site .…………>> 𝗪𝘄𝘄.𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗛𝟭.𝗖𝗼𝗺

Comments are closed.

Clarissa Hawes

Clarissa has covered all aspects of the trucking industry for 16 years. She is an award-winning journalist known for her investigative and business reporting. Before joining FreightWaves, she wrote for Land Line Magazine and Trucks.com. If you have a news tip or story idea, send her an email to [email protected] or @cage_writer on X, formerly Twitter.