The newsletter for Watco
Safety Anniversaries
January 1 – Great Plains Industrial Park Transloading (KS) – 1 year
January 1 – Hondo-Medina Mobile Repair (TX) – 8 years
January 1 – Houston Liquids Terminal (TX) –13 years
January 1 – Memphis Switching (TN) – 4 years
January 1 – Richmond Mobile Repair (VA) – 11 years
January 1 – Verdigris Southern Railroad (OK) – 1 year
January 1 – Port 10/Watco Rail Terminal (TX) – 2 years
January 1 – USG Plaster City Switching (CA) – 6 years
January 3 – Houston Material Handling (TX) – 2 years
January 8 – Blue Ridge Southern Railroad (NC) – 2 years
January 10 – Tulsa Port of Catoosa Marine Terminal (OK) – 1 year
January 15 – Dutchtown Southern Railroad (LA) – 4 years
January 22 – Middleport (OH) & Nitro (WV) Transload Terminals – 5 years
January 28 – Port of West Memphis (AR) – 4 years
January 29 – Omaha Transload Terminal (NE) – 7 years
January 30 – Elwood & Joliet Southern Railroad (IL) – 2 years
January 30 – St Louis Gateway Transload Terminal (MO) – 1 year
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Guntersville Terminal Achieves 10,000-Day Safety Milestone
For Terminal Manager Scott King, Dec. 15 had been circled on his 2024 calendar for months. That’s the date he hoped the Guntersville Terminal team would reach 10,000 days without a single lost-time injury. And they did.
“This milestone is something to be very proud of,” King said. “It means that for 10,000 consecutive days, no one here has had to go to the hospital or take time off due to a work-related incident.”
It’s an achievement that’s taken decades to accomplish: 27 years, 4 months, and 25 days to be exact. While a lot has changed since 1997, including a change in ownership to Watco in 2016, the culture remains the same. The folks working at this Alabama terminal consider themselves more of a family than a team.
SVP of Environmental, Health, and Safety Brent Shields said, “Today’s team looks different than it did 27 years ago. What stands out to me is their long-lasting commitment to upholding this special culture. They bring in new team members and make them part of their family.”
Along with King, the Guntersville family includes Martin Croft, Nathan Dunn, Lowell Shirey, and Christopher and Kristi Nunnelley. To mark the occasion, the team enjoyed a prime rib lunch. Retired teammate Mike Thompson returned to help them celebrate.
EVP and Chief Business Officer Rachael Peterson said, “Congratulations to the Guntersville team on achieving this incredible safety milestone. Thank you for keeping safety at the forefront of everything you do.”
Shields Named a Railway Age ‘Fast Tracker’
Brent Shields has been named to the annual Railway Age list of 25 Under 40 “Fast Trackers.”
Shields is one of 25 to receive this year’s award, which the magazine says is given to those “who have made an impact in their respective fields or within their company.” The Watco SVP of environmental, health, & safety said that upon learning of the honor, he “felt grateful and humbled.”
“The first thing I thought about was the help I have had along the way,” he said. “This award is meaningful because it recognizes not just me but the excellence of the people I’m surrounded by. It’s a reflection of their trust, collaboration, and willingness to support one another as we’ve faced challenges and opportunities in our industry.”
Multiple team members shared their thoughts about Shields for his nomination. They cited his contributions to company safety policies and his involvement in pulling safety data together to make it visible in Watco’s key data source, Power BI. They also said Shields had concentrated a lot of effort on the Path Forward program, which strives for uniformity across Watco locations when it comes to safety compliance.
Shields came to Watco in 2017 as an environmental manager responsible for seven Southern states. He served as a safety director, assistant vice president, and vice president before being named senior vice president in 2024. He is among five from Watco who’ve been recognized as a Fast Tracker since 2021.
Trainmaster Improves Efficiencies on the Mississippi Southern Railroad
There’s a lot of logistics involved in keeping a short line railroad running efficiently.
Thankfully at Watco’s Mississippi Southern Railroad (MSR), Trainmaster Justin Dempsey is a pro at streamlining operations. Since he was promoted from conductor/engineer to trainmaster in 2023, he’s improved processes that keeps rail inventory low and reduces costs.
This methodology ultimately improves railcar velocity, also known as the total time it takes to move a railcar from origin to destination, on the line. MSR General Manager Michael Goss said: “This solution is all Justin. He took the bull by the horns and came up with a plan that improves customer service, reduces extraneous charges, and keeps the supply chain moving.”
So how did he do it? To start, Dempsey looked at past and current railcar inventory to examine car flow and identify unnecessary bottlenecks. He sought assistance on how to optimize traffic on the MSR from Railcar Revenue Specialist Joely Gath, who he works closely with to this day.
After understanding the intricacies of rail traffic on the MSR, Dempsey came up with a new way to organize railcars in the yard: spotting cars by wanted dates. Then he met with conductors/engineers to show them the new way to set railcars on-site.
Finally, he met with customers of the MSR to help them evaluate how many railcars are necessary to order without clogging the line.
The MSR now averages three days to move railcars from the starting point to the interchange. This is a tight time window, given that the short line track stretches over 150 miles.
Gath said, “Justin is one of the most proactive people I work with. He keeps railcars moving for the customer. And as a result, the MSR has as little car hire expenses as possible.”
Watco Accepting Dependent Scholarship Application Forms
Watco is pleased to announce its Scholarship Program is now open for applications. The scholarship will be available to dependents of Watco team members. An applicant must be in good academic standing and must plan to attend a post-secondary institution within one year following high school graduation.
Scholarships will be awarded in the amount of $2,000 each and will be issued in two $1,000 disbursements for the first two semesters of college. The funds will be credited to the recipients’ accounts at the financial aid office of the college of their choosing. The number of scholarships awarded will be determined by the number of applicants with a minimum of two awarded per year.
Scholarship applications are available here. Applications need to be submitted no later than April 1, 2025. Contact watcogives@watco.com with questions.
A committee will review all applications and the winners will be notified and announced in the June issue of The Dispatch.
What You Need to Know About Health Screenings
February marks American Heart Month and National Cancer Prevention Month. It’s a reminder that heart disease and cancer are leading causes of death, but when detected early, can often be treated. That’s why health screenings are so important.
For team members and their dependents enrolled in a Watco health plan, many screenings are covered at 100 percent. For those with different coverage, check your insurance plan to learn about your coverage.
But who should get screened? And how often? Read below for guidance on common screenings.
Annual Physical Exam
Take care of your ticker by getting an annual physical. Among other things, your healthcare provider will check your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. If either is out of optimal range, additional steps can be taken to bring it back to a healthy range.
An annual physical may also include a breast exam for women and, for men, testicular and prostate exams to check for cancer.
Breast Cancer
It’s recommended that women start getting yearly mammograms at age 45. However, you have the option to get screened as early as 40. Once you reach 55, you can continue this annual screening or switch to every other year.
Cervical Cancer
Women between the ages of 21 and 29 should get screened for cervical cancer every three years. For those between the ages of 30 and 65, this screening is recommended every five years.
Colorectal Cancer
People 45 or older should be screened regularly for colorectal cancer. Screening procedures can include anything from at-home tests to procedures performed at medical facilities.
Skin Cancer
For those with a family history of skin cancer, or who have fair skin prone to sunburns, it’s important to regularly check your skin for new spots or moles. A full-body skin exam provided by a healthcare provider can also help detect skin cancer early.
Support is available should you or a family member get diagnosed with cancer. Private Health Management’s ClearCancer program is available at no cost for those enrolled in a Watco health plan. This benefit gives you access to a personal care team that works alongside your healthcare provider and insurance to create the best treatment plan for you. For more information, contact PHM at watco@privatehealth.com or (310) 248-4050.
Here’s what team members said about working with PHM: “Thanks again to my team of guardian angels for what they’ve done and continue to do for me.”
“This has been a really great experience; I appreciate everything they have done.”
New Arrivals
Avery Michelle Cotterill
Joseph and Emily Cotterill announce the birth of their daughter, Avery Michelle Cotterill, born on December 12, 2024. Avery weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces and was 19 ¼ inches long. Grandparents Raymond and Jessica Cotterill welcomed their first grandchild. Raymond is a truck driver and cochair of the Team Safety & Improvement Committee at the Middleport Transload Terminal in Ohio.
Dominik Anthony Barrera
Mishell Hernandez and Jakob Barrera announce the birth of their son, Dominik Anthony Barrera, born on December 11, 2024. Dominik weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces and was 19 ½inches long. Dominik is the grandson of Safety Manager Michael Hernandez and his wife, Elisa. Michael is based out of Houston, Texas.
Cameron Michelle Lollar
Keith and Jennifer (Otto) Lollar announce the birth of their daughter, Cameron Michelle Lollar, born on September 5, 2024. Cameron weighed 5 pounds, 14 ounces and was 19 inches long. Jennifer is assistant manager of revenue accounting handling interline settlements out of the Pittsburg, Kansas, office.
Team Member Anniversaries
Congratulations to the following team members celebrating February anniversaries:
1 Year:
Bryce Ainsworth, Jordan Albin, Samuel Bass Jr, Jason Beauchamp, Kyle Berry, Kenneth Blankenship, Richard Boursiquot, Joshua Bowling, Jordan Brill, Colten Camp, Allan Childers, Jordan Clark, Jeffrey Clarke, Kane Cooper, Anthony Cortez, Jake Crow, Allison Davis, Samuel Ford, Devin Gaedtke-Schwartz, Coleton Garland, Joe Guajardo, Jonas Guzman, Jonathan Hamm, Leetrell Hart, Jose Hernandez, Sebastian Ivanov, John Keesling, Chris Landry, Devan Luke, Davie Martinez, David Matthews, Justen Minnifield, Phillip Montgomery, Corbin Morgan, Steven Nations, Holly O’Brien, Nicholas O’Brien, Kieran O’Shea, Clem Pedraza, Chance Perales, Kelly Pianalto, Sailor Pilotte, David Rickey, William Robinson, Dominick Russell, Darby Ryan, Michael Sammut, Amanda Specht, Marcus Thomas II, Grayson Urrutia, Helen Van Welie, Maria Vaughan, Liberty Vogel, Susan Waite, Damon Washington, Kyle Whitman, Michael Wood
2 Years:
Justin Aeschliman, Russell Beer, Calvin Bentley, Drew Bollinger, David Chancery, Kevin-David Connelly, Garrett Cook, Grace Dighton, Nathan Dighton, Wendy Dighton, Blake Downes, Fynne Ebert, Madeline Emerson, John Farr, Jacob Foster, Anthony Garbo, Declan Goggan, Isreal Gonzales, Dylan Gordon, Tyrell Gordon, Cody Greenwood, Kolton Hicks, Adam Hunt, Charles Jones,
Jesse Lawhead, Ben Lees, May Longfellow, Aaron Martinez, Roberto Martinez, Craig Metz, Alex Michel, Vittorio Musumeci, Aaron Niva, Carlin O’Leary, Devon Parrish, Daniel Perez, Richard Prine, Preston Rash, Edward Richards, Braiden Richey, Chad Schlotzhauer, Matthew Sinclair, Christopher Smith, Gary Tass, Evan Terry, Dereon Thomas, Jerald Tice, Willis Timmons, Clayton Tunison, Anthony Vela, Gregory Ware, Alicia Wouldridge, Brennon Yates
3 Years:
Joshua Bouchard, John Bradford, Travis Brautigam, Clifford Bray, Travis Brossette, Alexander Brown, Terrance Campbell, Matthew Capo, Robin Collis, Melissa Compston, Frank Elford, Joe Estrada, Reece Farnham, Kirk Farnsworth, Michael Ferri, Christopher Forrest, Howard Franzen, Elida Garza, Daphne Geary, Elias Gonzalez, Mark Grisdale, Joshua Hardin, Jose Ibarra, Ellis Johnson, Kenneth Killingsworth, Michel Lacroix, Michael Lidstone, Robert Loehlein, Mario Lopez, Francisco Marroquin, Nathaniel Mathia, Urana McGee, Michael Mckay, Dakota Merritt, William Minnie, Leoncio Rodriguez, Angelita Salinas, Edwin Santos Lucero, Dale Schell, Craig Smith, Ryan Smith, Ariyan Swift, Adam Thiessenhusen, Desmond Thomas, Fernard Tomas, Richard Vannaman, William Wallace, Kyle Warnock, Justin Westbrook, Cassie Whitton, Kyle Wied, Joshua Witmer
4 Years:
Jessica Bailey, Richard Balsiger, Matthew Bergeland, Steven Bosse, Troy Briggs, Oscar Cassidy, Philip Champagne, Albert Chapa, James Cullins, Victor Dickson, Fabian Garcia, Blake Harvey, Bruce Kennedy, Alex Kruger, Jesse Luna, Kris Mansfield, Stephanie Miller, Mason Mollus, Zachary Morgan, Robert Morrow, Angel Salazar, Abagale Stroup, Patrick Tygett, Kimberly Veyna, Shaylee Walsh, Bobbie Jo Weiser
5 Years:
Tristan Bellows, Donnie Castro, Raymond Damian, Jesse Fitzgerald, Luke Gard, Jacob Goodrich, Cullen Hare, Darla Jones, Austin Malone, Lee Martin, Matt Rengel, Pascual Robles, Carlos Rocha, Brooke Ross
6 Years:
Juan Bermudez, Brent Blaha, Nigel Budhan, Aaron Day, Robert DeBlanc, Dominic Diosdado, Samuel Garcia, Denisa Godfrey, Alissa Hackel, James Haynes, Anthony Hoyte, Charles Jones, Maurice Joseph, Mayra Juarez, Garry Major, Andrew Mattair, Joshua Mitchell, Beau Mousty, Jose Penaloza, Stephen Ricks, Dillon Sauer, Derek Schuman, Robert Slayer, David Terven, Jamarius Valentine, Brian Witzke, Robert Woods
7 Years:
Shannon Colon, Audley Elder, Tyler Gilbert, Adam Gray, Peyton King, Zachary Lindley, Alvin
Team Member Anniversaries
Magee, Jason Miller, Nathanael Riddle, Jeremy Schwarzhuber, Mariano Uribe, Jennifer Vasquez, Stanley Whitaker, Douglas Williams
8 Years:
David Blanchard, Timothy Broadway, Curtis Holbrook, Reynaldo Lobo Guardado, John McAndrew, Gunnar Miesner, Michael Samples, Brent Shields, Sean Strong, Jennifer Thayn, Brady Trappe, Joseph Wendt
9 Years:
Kevin Byrd, John Cuevas, Juan DeLaCerda, Jarmain Drake, Daniel Lemon, Caroline Spurrier, John Weber
10 Years:
Derek Anderson, Bradley Bridges, Trevor Jones, Steven Kimball, Adam Lebihan, Eliel Morales
11 Years:
John Foster, Chris King, Evan Klaevemann, Jeffrey Lien, Dee Mitchell, Cory Montoya, Odea Nowden, Zachary Overstreet, Tomas Sanchez
12 Years:
Tristan Clarke, Steven Coltrin, Steven Coomes, Seth Creason, Michael DeLaney, Jeremy Edwards, Travis Gathagan, Michael McMillan, Michael O’Connell, Derek Prestholt, Misael Vazquez, Melissa Winebrenner
13 Years:
Michael Brinkerhoff, Martin Mandujano, Jacinto Mendez, Matthew Morrison, Sabrina Mounts, Stephanie Rich, Ysidoro Romero, April Rose, Chad Shaffer, Timothy Sharitt, Matt Spade, Chris Wright
14 Years:
Kevin Dean, Charley Dohle, Josh Gwillim, Michael Schaffer, Joshua Smiley, Joseph Smith, Danny Spangler, William Watts, Willis Whitaker
15 Years: Raul Pesina, Jose Reyes
16 Years:
Veronica Banks, Lawrence Fix, Johnny Lima
17 Years:
Michael Brown, Ben Coward, Brian Ezell, Ty Furgason, Leovardo Mata, David Riggs, Frederico Romero, Robert Smith
18 Years:
Robert Balzer, Jeffery Denton, Albert Glenn, AJ Mee, Derek Nyman
19 Years:
Michael Lewis, Joseph Reid, John Scheehle
20 Years:
Douglas Fleming, Matthew Hinojosa, Gregory Lovelace
21 Years: George Villa
22 Years: Gary Goodwin, Nathan Grice
23 Years: Sara Hanson
24 Years: Serafin Contreras, Kevin Schoenhofer
25 Years: James Andrews, Steven Bringer, David Terry
26 Years: Thomas Shirey
29 Years: Troy Tracy
30 Years: Michael Sebecic
31 Years: Rodney Hamilton
32 Years: Mark Hoskinson
37 Years: Steven Caudle
