RCR Rail Co.

Hydie McAlister is a seasoned professional in the commercial real estate realm. Her career commenced in 1991 with the McAlister Company, marking the beginning of a legacy of excellence. In 2008, she channeled her vast knowledge into founding McAlister Investment Real Estate, a move that diversified the investment landscape within the McAlister family of businesses. Her foresight continued to manifest with the establishment of McAlister Assets in 2018, introducing new rail-served opportunities to the market.

Throughout her career, Hydie has been instrumental in the acquisition of over $300 million in land assets, a testament to her strategic prowess. Her leadership from February 2018 to August 2022 led to the successful raising of over $139 million in private equity, earmarked for long-term capital gain land holdings and the development of rail-served industrial parks.

Ms. McAlister’s portfolio of achievements includes the structuring, building, and management of industrial Class I rail-served business parks. Notably, she has developed two significant parks—a 137-acre and a 755-acre site. Within the RCR Taylor Park, she has adeptly negotiated and closed land transactions exceeding $69 million with end users. Over the last five years, Hydie’s vision and determination have brought the Hempstead and Taylor parks in Texas from concept to reality.

Now, with an eye towards the future, Hydie McAlister is set to propel McAlister Assets into new business sectors, promising continued growth and innovation.

Cody Poteat joined RCR Rail Co in February of 2023. Cody’s primary responsibilities consist of leading RCR Rail Company’s rail commercial development and managing day-to-day park operations. He is tasked with targeting new clients and developing those relationships through the entirety of the rail sales process. His commercial strategy primarily leverages his rail industry contacts to complement his understanding of how materials and products are shipped by rail. His additional responsibilities focus on executing RCR’s lean operating strategy through managing the Operations Teams.
Cody joined RCR following 11 years with the Union Pacific Railroad. Cody’s experience in the rail industry spans across the intermodal, chemicals, and automotive business segments. While at Union Pacific, Cody’s responsibilities included commercial development, strategic account negotiation and strategy, project management, and operations. Cody graduated from Hastings College with a degree in Marketing and acquired his MBA from University of Nebraska, Omaha in 2021. Cody lives in Franklin, TN with his wife who owns her own small business marketing company.

Jeff brings over 30 years of expertise in the Houston commercial and land market. He began his distinguished career with Coldwell Banker Commercial (now CBRE) in 1994, representing major companies such as Walmart Stores, DR Horton, Caterpillar, and Ford Motor Company. Throughout his tenure, Jeff has delivered exceptional real estate services, specializing in industrial, retail, and residential land development, acquisition, and disposition.In 2018, Hydie McAlister, Principal, partnered with Jeff to develop RCR Rail Co. He transitioned to a full-time role at RCR Rail Co in October 2022. Since then, Jeff has concentrated on expanding the company’s service sales, successfully securing a diverse range of clients and managing products from construction materials and chemicals to food-grade items.

Away from working Jeff enjoys traveling and volunteering with variety of non-profit organizations including being a member of the Washington County A&M Club, Boys and Girls Club, 29 Acres which provides a wonderful living environment for autistic adults. In addition, Jeff is Lifetime Member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo where he has co-founded and developed several new volunteer committees.

Julie Ward is an accomplished professional who recently joined RCR in 2024 with the primary responsibility of managing and overseeing land development.  Prior to joining RCR, Julie worked at notable real estate firms such as Partners Real Estate and Read King, Inc. There she participated in all aspects of commercial real estate development, including acquisitions, entitlement, finance, design, construction, leasing, and dispositions.  With an impressive 18-year career, Julie’s project experience spans Build-to-Suits, Institutional, Industrial, Retail, and Office Developments. She has successfully completed over 4 million square feet and $500 million in development.Julie holds a license as an Architect and is a record holder with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).  Additionally, she is a certified Construction Document Technologist and worked as an accredited LEED professional with a specialty in Building Design and Construction. Julie earned both her Bachelor and Master of Architecture from Tulane University.