Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Lake Oswego-based railcar company, Greenbrier, announced Wednesday it'll be hiring 260 workers. The company has received orders to work on more than 2800 railcars.

The contracts represent $130 million in new business. The company says it will be calling back workers previously furloughed as well as hiring new people.

Greenbrier treasurer Lorie Leeson says the new orders are generated at ports, where demand is increasing for large containers that travel easily on U.S. roads and rails.

Lorie Leeson: "It gives them economy of scale as they load it into that larger box."

Company stock jumped about three percent on the news. But there are some problems at Greenbrier.

The company also builds ocean-going barges. It says softness in that market means it needs to divert about 175 workers from barge production to railcars.