The
Dispatch The newsletter for Watco Companies
August 2020 | Volume 21 | Issue 8
Table of Contents Safety Anniversaries ______________________________________________________________________ 3 SKOL Bridge Rebuilt in Record Time ____________________________________________________ 4-5 Mississippi Southern Railroad Extends Line ____________________________________________ 6-7 Team Member Spotlight __________________________________________________________________ 8 Watco Gives Back ____________________________________________________________________ 9-10 Anniversaries _______ __________________________________________________________________ 11-12 New Arrivals ___________ ___________________________________________________________________ 13 Retirement ___________ __________________________________________________________________ 14
Highlights
Dow Chemicals has selected Watco to acquire the rail infrastructure assets and related equipment at six major North American sites. Read more about this revolutionary approach to industrial in-plant rail operations.
On the Cover
ď ° Watch the video of the first SKOL train crossing the newly repaired bridge. Story on page4.
Read more
Share your story with us: marketing@watcocompanies.com
2 The Dispatch | August 2020
Safety Anniversaries July 1: Queens Terminal (NY) – 5 years July 1: Rumford Switching (ME) – 1 year July 1: Old Town Switching (ME) – 1 year July 3: Brimstone Switching (LA) – 11 years July 6: PCC-Condon Switching (OR) – 4 years July 10: Grand Elk Railroad (MI & IN) – 1 year July 10: Ghent Terminal (KY) – 1 year July 11: Chicago Heights Terminal (IL) – 6 years July 18: Tioga Terminal (ND) – 4 years July 21: Dore Terminal (ND) – 5 years July 25: Toledo Switching (OR) – 5 years July 25: Birmingham Terminal Railway (AL) – 1 year July 27: Green River (Solvay) Switching (WY) – 1 year July 29: Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad (WA) – 12 years
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SKOL Bridge Rebuilt in Record Time Disasters are often a time when you see what people are made of. And when a trestle bridge on the South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad (SKOL) burned down on June 24, it revealed a spirit of teamwork not only from the SKOL team but by the contractors and builders as well. The fire on the 505-foot long wooden structure spread quickly, and within approximately 12-13 minutes, flames engulfed the entire bridge. The trestle is located one-half mile east of Independence, Kansas. Area firefighters arrived at the scene, and Watco customer CVR Energy from nearby Coffeyville, Kansas, brought a chemical foam truck to the fire and sprayed about 200 gallons of fire suppressant on the structure. Unfortunately, the fire was too intense and forced firefighters to allow it to burn itself out. But the SKOL team, including Jerry Waun, SKOL General Manager; Mike Mullinex, Assistant Roadmaster; Tyler Burke, Car Foreman; Dustin Coester, Trainmaster, and Lou Foreman from BL Trenching were able to save the piles, which helped speed the rebuilding process. Just two days following the fire, rebuilding began on this crucial line connecting the SKOL to Oklahoma’s Tulsa and Port of Catoosa locations. Team members rerouted railcars through Columbus, Kansas, and extra trains were run during the week to ensure customers’ needs were taken care of while the rebuilding of the bridge took place. Bridge Engineer Mike McDermott drove down from Iowa to lead the bridge replacement project. Koppers Railroad Structures and Brinks Engineering Solutions were the lead bridge contractors with support from Elnicki Inc. and B & L Trenching. P.J. Forbes, Vice President of Operations, said, “It was amazing to watch. We had two competing companies working together to complete the project and neither one showed any ego. It was like they were one company working in unison. All of that was kept together by the leadership of Mike McDermott. Every day he gave a briefing that laid out the day in detail, so everything meshed. What was estimated to take about 30 days was completed in just 16 because of the exceptional teamwork involved. Kudos to Mike, Cameron Ginther (Project Manager), Chance Adair (Senior Project Manager), and Bryan Waldon (Senior Project Manager) for their daily leadership on the project and the focus on safely getting the job done and to Jerry Waun, the heart and soul of the SKOL, who kept the line moving.” Getting the bridge completed in 16 days was not only a huge accomplishment, but 100-degree days and rain delays were obstacles the teams overcame during the process. Waun stated, “It was amazing to watch it all unfold. Through the heat, rain, and extended workdays, there were no injuries or accidents. We have an amazing team, and I can’t thank them or our contractors enough for everything they did.” On Sunday, July 12, Waun celebrated the completion of the bridge by grilling steaks onsite and the next day, the first train rolled eastbound across the new bridge.
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Mississippi Southern Railroad Extends Line On July 20, the Mississippi Southern Railroad (MSR) grew – a lot. The former 29-mile line extended its lease from the Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS) an additional 127 miles. Formerly, the line went north from Bay Springs, Mississippi, to Newton, Mississippi, where the line interchanged with the KCS. The new addition, the Louisville sub, goes north from Newton to West Point, Mississippi, but the line right now is only operational to Ackerman. Michael Goss, General Manager, moved down from Watco’s PCC-Condon location in Oregon to manage the railroad operations, which has added eight locomotives and 17 team members to its roster. “Start-up went really well,” said Goss. “We have a lot of top-quality, experienced team members. Brooke Beasley, Kylie Collier, and Lindsey Alexander from the People Services team did a tremendous job. They got after it and gave us top-quality candidates, and we were able to pick the best of the best. That was a huge blessing.” “Everything was organized and we had a solid operating plan. Most of the credit for two of the jobs goes to our engineer, Danny Sims. He came up with an operating plan that makes the operations run smoothly, and it all flows together well.” The first train rolled out and delivered cars to Tyson Foods, switched Union Yard, and delivered the first cut of cars to KCS. Other customers served by the MSR include Biewer Sawmill, Georgia Pacific, Peco Foods, Tyson Foods, Weyerhaeuser, and Winston Plywood & Veneer, Cody Gilliland, Sales Manager, said, “The feedback we received from customers after our first week was positive. We’ve got a broad customer base that we’re excited to work and grow with. “The City of Louisville has also been very supportive and is working with us on growth-oriented projects that will be beneficial for both the city and the MSR,” he added. The railroad has plans for upgrading track, and the rail yards and will have the ability to work on locomotives in Louisville in the new locomotive pit to ensure that things continue to run smoothly. “Some of the customers on the line are experiencing one of the best years they’ve had due to COVID and people working on home-improvement projects,” said Gilliland. “One customer was already making plans to expand their capacity and ship more cars out of the Louisville area, so this could be an outstanding growth period for all the parties involved.”
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Team Member Spotlight: Charles Hall
Greens Port Industrial Terminals (GPIT) in the Houston Ship Channel is a massive complex. The facility’s transportation strengths provide the means to move our customers’ goods and its docks, rail access, and connectivity to highways make it a shipping powerhouse. That muscle is backed up by GPIT’s real estate and storage capacity and that’s where GPIT Tenant/Project Coordinator for Real Estate Charles Hall and his team provide assistance. “My title is a bit of a mouthful, and my actual activity is about as clear as that title. Essentially, I focus on the facility itself, being an administrator for the vertical assets themselves,” Hall said. “It’s everything from filling out permits for construction projects to getting actual lease documents signed.” GPIT includes 3.3 million square feet of warehouse space and 755 acres of land. That area provides our customers ample opportunity to safely store their weather-sensitive products, plenty of outdoor laydown space, and room to work with Watco to design and develop their own custom facilities to suit their needs. “Real estate should be viewed as an operation that allows the park to fulfill its greatest value. It’s not just a piece of land. It’s got water access, rail access, close access to the highway. It allows you to take the most advantage from the facility,” Hall said. Hall worked for Industrial Terminals (I-Term), but joined the GPIT team in March 2018, when Watco acquired the company’s assets and took over the lease for its facility, adjacent to GPIT. He’d been with I-Term since April 2012. With degrees in political science and finance, Hall might not have expected to end up in shipping, but he was drawn to the industry through a family connection. “My dad had been in the shipping industry for a while, so it was something I was familiar with. I started out here as my first job out of school and tried to get involved in as many things as I possibly 8 The Dispatch | August 2020
could,” Hall said. “There’s been a lot of interesting things to learn about. It is interesting to be a part of such a vital industry, especially in Houston. The ports are an economic behemoth in this region that maybe doesn’t get as much limelight as oil and gas, and the medical center. So, I think it’s interesting to be involved in global trade from such a large hub.” Since joining Watco, Hall has embraced the new style of leadership and how that’s translated to the port’s operation. “There’s a culture of entrepreneurship. You get to see a little bit more. Leadership likes to move quickly and take risks but understands that those risks have to be founded on solid financials, solid operations, solid execution. That’s been a great environment,” said Hall. Houston is one of the largest freight cargo destinations in the country, and with GPIT being the biggest private port in the area, Hall says that instills a real gratification. “There’s a sense of pride here. We’re the largest private bulk, breakbulk, and project cargo terminal in the channel, which is a big deal. It’s totally unique,” Hall said. “It’s good to be a part of these kinds of things, to see the cause and effect of, see the correlations of the trade and how that impacts everything. It’s sort of the first line to the broader economy.” Outside of work, Hall enjoys spending time with his wife, their two young children, and their extended families. “I’ve got a son and a daughter that are both under 3 years old right now. Until recently, my wife and I were in school to get our masters’, so home life has been very busy. In the free time that we may have, here and there, I like to read, play golf, and spend time with our families.”
Watco Gives Back
Photo credits: Joseph Wengloski
Project Refit Benefits Veterans and First Responders Michael Lawver primarily serves as the diesel mechanic for the Ithaca Central Railroad, but more importantly, he served in the Marine Corps from 2008 – 2012. Through his military connection, he became involved with Project Refit. Project Refit is a New Jersey-based non-profit organization created to provide mental health assistance and a way for veterans and first responders to connect so they don’t feel isolated. Lawver recently was asked to organize a car cruise to bring awareness and raise funds for the organization. The timeline was a tight one, but Lawver was able to round up sponsors, and 70 cars participated in the cruise, raising more than $4,100 for the organization.
Also participating in the cruise was Ma Deuce Deuce (MA22) from the New Jersey shore . MA22’s mission is to raise awareness of the “22 daily veteran suicides” epidemic and provide veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with a diversity of information about restorative and therapeutic programs. More information about Project Refit can be found at www.projectrefit.us, and information on Ma Deuce Deuce is located on their website at www.ma22.org.
Project Refit conducts “Buddy Check-Ins” via Zoom three days a week that give veterans and first responders an avenue to vent or request help from their peers. Funds raised through the car cruise will help the program purchase its first “Mobile Base,” a large, Refit-branded trailer that opens to a pop-up space with seating. “Project Refit is trying to perfect the process of helping someone take the first step into their mental healing journey,” said James Corbett, Co-Founder of Project Refit.
An AM General M35A2 leading the cars around the Veteran’s community building.
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Watco Gives Back
Great Northwest Railroad Keeps Kids Safe The Great Northwest Railroad is all about safety, both for their team and the communities they operate in. Recently, the Boys & Girls Club of Lewis Clark Valley, a community straddling the Washington-Idaho border. The club was looking for assistance in purchasing facemasks for all the children who visited the facility. The Great Northwest stepped up and donated to the cause so that every child could have his or her own mask. Raini Jackson, Club Director, said, “Trying to find masks for every child was difficult and expensive, and the donation helped us so much! Thanks to the donation, we are able to follow the state guidelines, and outfit any child who does not have a mask with their own, brand new, reusable mask.” “We heard that the Boys & Girls Club was needing some help, with everything that’s been happening,” said Stacy Grant, GRNW General Manager. “They are an important part of our community and provide a valuable service to our youth.”
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Team Member Anniversaries Congratulations to the following team members celebrating August anniversaries:
1 Year: Christopher Beckem,
2 Years: Jack Abbott, Joseph
Reginald Bell, Wendell Blair,
Bellony, Daniel Brown, Anthony
Joshua Blanchard, Haley
Caban, Mathew Casey, Nicholas
Bradshaw, Benjamin Broz,
Clayton, Thomas Damus, Richard
Saraphine Bush, Christian
Davis, Joshua Dulak, Ryan Edge,
Calero-Mendez, Richard Cawley,
Tariq Elias, Jeremy Espy, Harvey
Shawn Clark, Nakito Clayton,
Fischer, Ike Gourdine, Lateef
David Daniels, Christopher Dean,
Griffin, Nicholas Guinn, Emily
Benjamin Dennis, William Dobbin,
Halder, Camron Henderson, Latt
Travis Dyer, Joey Feero, John
Hyde, Jeremiah Jackson, Jaclyn
Fischer, Albert Foster, Rhonda
Jenkins, Michael Johnson, Jamal
Grossman, Justin Halligan, Austin
Josiah, Chad Livingston, Melissa
Hamilton, Jace Hankins, Ricky
Lodahl, Travis Louden, Patrick
Hightower, Antonio Hillman,
Meagher, Matthew Nicol, Brian
David Hladek, Anthony Hutchins,
OBrien, Jalane Olds, Vianca
Ralph Jackson, Denis Laren, David
Pacheco, Matthew Peck, Jared
Lawson, Fuquan Lewis, Joseph
Powell, Sabin Reynolds, Aaron
Loyd, Silverio Maldonado, Jose
Rose, Kevin Sanchez, Mary
Martinez, Joshua Martinez, Dylan
Sikorski, Michael Terry, Nicholas
Matlock, David Mazur, Michael
Vertein, Sean Wanamaker, Cedric
Mcdermott, Jonathan McKenzie,
Williams, Andy Yague Planes
Douglas Mitchell, Diego Muniz, Tony Norton, William Noyes,
3 Years: Stephanie Arriola-
Richard Oliveros, Rebecca Palacio,
Suarez, Keven Atherton, Sean
Joshua Paugh, Blaine Pelletier,
Barnhart, Christopher Brammell,
Edward Peltier, Luis Perez,
Edward Bray, Jeffrey Cantrell,
Brent Pinnick, Vincent Porter,
Ronald Carey, Adam Caruthers,
Denice Poseley, Kyle Roberts,
Walter Chapman, Dustin Delehoy,
Nicholas Rockett, Joseph Sageser,
Roosevelt England, Victor Foster,
Matthew Sanchez, Joseph Scott,
Daniel Friend, Jacob Gallun, Gage
Stephen Shrader, Shawn Smith,
Gorman, Timothy Gulbranson,
Kaily Stromness, Tyler Summar,
Timothy Hilton, Seth Jankord,
Anthony Sydnor, Cristina Talley,
Quiones Jennings, Joshua Jones,
Wayne Terry, Jose Trevino,
Barton Maransani, Ricardo
Filiberto Vasquez, Terrell Webster,
Martinez, Jeremy Matter, Kamal
Austin White, Kenneth Williams,
Meawad, Christopher Miranda,
Traviss Williams, Allen Woods,
Victor Olivo, Kyle Pillsworth,
Scott Wyman
Heather Poll, Ronald Richey, Ivan Rincon, David Ross, Davendra
Singh, Scott Smith, Scott Smith, Terrence Smith, Rhett Summar, Michael Walker, Shane Willoughby, Buckley Wright, Leandier Yazzie
4 Years: Andrew Ashbacher,
Veronica Carlson, Sidney Coomes, Harvey Donn, Jeremy Evans, Ryan Girard, Jerry Green, Adam Grimm, William Hardy, Travis Henson, Joseph Johnston, Roy Jones, Kenith Langsford, Keith Lollar, David Lumpkins, Alonzo Mason, Floyd McCormack, Jarrett McPherson, Paul Mitchell, Michael Mullins, Jeremy Myer, Jennifer Ocampo-Banda, Miguel Paniagua Pardo, Marvin Quinn, Rylee Rice, Edward Ripp, Alberto Rosales, Henry Simpson, Stephen Smith, Casey Waggoner, Nicholas Winslow
5 Years: Crystal Arnold, Clint
Barnes, Armando Bernabe, Adam Choy, Ana Guzman, Zachary Hammons, Michael Higgins, Kevin Hoyos, Richard Maillet, Richard McCalla, Sergio Mohammed, Alejandro Molina, Phillip Morris, Johnny Ortegon, Francis Osterhout, Jason Ratliff, David Saliga, Terry Schmitz, Matthew Smolek, Brian Thompson, Jamie Van Boxtel, Andrew Williams
6 Years: Faron Colburn, Jeffery
Crowther, Steven Day, Todd Dominique, Dillon Frank, Richard Fulton, Judd Gilgen, Ian Gray, Anthony Holcomb, Cody Jensen, Josh Joslin, Katherine Lawson, Jonathan Morefield, Darren August 2020 | The Dispatch 11
Team Member Anniversaries Morton, Enrique Ortiz, Franky Perez, Andrew Plotts, Tiffany Poland, William Price, Troy Reister, Victor Rivera, Timothy Selquist, Roberto Trevino, Barth West
7 Years: Enoch Awejok,
Christopher Droddy, Jared Humphrey, Alberto Rodriguez, Brett Woollard
8 Years: Nicholas Bennett,
Cindy Davied, Robbie Haynes, James Henry, Donald Janda, Chase Manley, Carrie Middlebrook, Jason Overton, Wayne Roig, Mikayla Widick
9 Years: Tyler Adkison, Jeffrey
Ecret, Erik Finnerty, Keith Johnson, Carrie Langston, Joseph Lee, Paul Leonards, Carl Petersen, Brit Sonnier, Adam Wittenauer
10 Years: Ryan Dziedzic,
Jhirmark Hodge, David Humble, William Jones, Nathan Keizer, Alvin Maney, Jason Miron, Seth Peterson, Carl Reese, Derrick Sepulvado, Terry Smallwood, John Staples, David Tackett, Nathan Tobey, Dyllan Vincent, Damien Williams
11 Years: Luis Ferrer,
Christopher Hayes, John Williams
12 Years: Angelo Barrera,
Raymond Barrera, Justin Dempsey, Raymond Howard, James Kratky, Kurtis Lindsey, George Mincey, Dennis Sawyer
13
Years: Phyllis Angermeier, Marvin Ayers, Andrew Brown, William Buchinski, Ronald Jackson, Kyle Mansfield, Dwight Sayles, Joshua Seefeld, Robert Sua, Nathan Tuzicka
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Years: William Beighey, Robin Conerby, Maurice Davis, Jimmy Dodd, Donnie Gunter, John Harrell, Charles Henderson, Juan Lozano, Jeffrey Mayfield, Kyle Moody, Alejandro Perez, Matthew Sodergren, Alicia Stimpson, Martin Wellmaker
15 Years: Adam Hanson,
Leo Hogan, Douglas Linscomb, Hector Reyes
16 Years: Thomas Erbe, Kyle
Finn, Sofrona Howard, Steven Kincaid, Marlene Olson, Jimmy Patterson, Delta Wood
17 Years: Jason Hislop, Roder Mercado
18
Years: John Binkley, David Gromer, Phillip Hedge, Christopher Moore, Albert Olvera
19 Years: Mark Bray, Carl Jones, Eugenio Ovalle
20 Years: Charles Stanley 21 Years: James Brooks, Kari
Holloway, Allison Reneau
23
Years: Brian Collier, Timothy Wiseman
24 Years: Doug Kerley,
Kevin Krueger
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25
Years: Joseph Brown, Gregory Duffie, Charles Sigley
28 Years: James Boyle,
Kenneth Dozier
29 Years: Maurice McGinnis 31 Years: Jose Hernandez,
John Lyon, Kevin Sepulvado
32 Years: Rodger Isbell,
Darryl Marshall
34 Years: Sam Ricci,
Gus Sepulvado
36 Years: Michael Remedies 37 Years: Ellen Demaree 39 Years: Gerald Toopes 42 Years: Randy Glaze,
Lawrence Hamilton
46 Years: Willie McRunnels 50 Years: Michael Thompson
New Arrivals
Brian and Jennifer Kemp announce the birth of their daughter, Charlotte Annmarie Kemp, born on July 20, 2020. Charlotte weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces, and was 20 inches long. Brian is a Conductor/Engineer on the Boise Valley Railroad.
Matt and Gena Rengel announce the birth of their son, Logan James Rengel, born on July 28, 2020. Logan weighed 8 pounds, 15 ounces, and was 20 ž inches long. Logan was welcomed home by his sister is Abigail, who will be turning 2. Matt serves as a Corporate Counsel and works out of the Overland Park, Kansas, location.
To submit your new arrival send a photo and information to marketing@watcocompanies.com
August 2020 | The Dispatch 13
Retirement
Adams Retires After 42 Years in the Rail Industry Precisely 42 years to the day after he began his career in the railroad industry, Scott Adams, Watco’s Vice President of Engineering, retired and said goodbye to the company and team members he so greatly valued. That feeling though, is mutual. Damien Williams, Division Engineer, is one of many people who were mentored by Adams over the years and who will miss his leadership. “Scott is hands down been the best mentor/ trainer anyone can ask for, “said Williams. “I think that can be said companywide. He put things into perspective so that anyone could understand; he always took the time to teach. “Scott put a lot of thought into everything he did and made sure all the details were there. He did the research and made sure everything was the right fit.” Garrett Bolyard, Vice President of Operations, who will be taking over the position Adams left, has benefited from Adams’ leadership style. “I think that Scott is the example of that servant leader. He was always willing to assist when needed, he was willing to train and mentor, and most importantly, he was always available.”
Adams retired from Watco after being with the company for 17 years. Before joining the Watco team, Adams worked his way up through different divisions at Union Pacific Railroad (UP). He started with the UP on July 18, 1978, holding positions such as bridge and building section crew member, tie and rail inspector, roadmaster, and manager of track projects before joining Watco in 2003.
Bolyard stated that when he first joined Watco, he had no clue how railroads operated. “Scott drug me all over the Northwest area. We would hi-rail and he would draw me pictures to help me understand how everything worked. He never got frustrated while teaching me, and I can never thank him enough for everything he has done to share his knowledge.”
“When I started as chief engineer of track, we had seven railroads in the western and central parts of the country. I was traveling a lot to get to all of the different railroads,” said Adams. “I have no regrets regarding joining Watco. It was a great move, both personally and professionally. I’ve always felt appreciated and like I was more than a number. I’ve met some outstanding people, and I’ve been so proud of my team and of being a part of Watco.”
According to Bolyard, Adams has likely forgotten more than most in the industry will ever know. The connections that Adams has within the industry were invaluable, and he was able to reach out to folks and send resources whenever they were needed.
Now that Adams has finished traveling for work, he’d like to take time to travel for fun. He plans to spend time with this wife Cathy on visits to their son and daughter, who live in Portland. He’s also going to spend some time in the outdoors fishing, camping, and golfing.
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To submit your new arrival send a photo and information to marketing@watcocompanies.com
