The
Dispatch The newsletter for Watco
December 2021
Table of Contents Celebrating 30 Years and Counting! ___________________________________________________________________ 4 Bon Appetit! Watco Transports Pizza’s Main Ingredient ______________________________________________ 5 Watco Hustles to Deliver the Holidays ______________________________________________________________ 6-7 Watco Offers Water Rescue Training _______________________)________________________________________ 8-9 Get Ready to FREEZE ______________________________________________________________________________ 10-11 Team Member Anniversaries _______________________________________________________________________ 12-13 Purchase Card & Fleet Card Deadlines and Expectations ______________________________________________ 13 New Arrivals _________________________________________________________________________________________14 Swan Ranch Railroad Spreads Christmas Cheer_______________________________________________________14
Highlights
On the Cover
Watco 2022 Calendars Are Here
The Eastern Idaho Railroad cruises toward Burley, Idaho, hauling a small cut of boxcars after a fresh snow. Each team member will be receiving one complimentary Watco calendar.
Go to watcogear.com to place your order today. 2 The Dispatch | December 2021
Photo by Cody Jenkins
Safety Anniversaries November 4 – Port Neches Dedicated Terminal (TX) – 10 years November 6 – Port of Jeffersonville (IN) – 6 years November 7 – Texas & New Mexico Railway (NM, TX) – 3 years November 9 – Great Northwest Railroad (ID, WA) – 15 years November 11 – Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad (IL, IN) – 1 year November 13 – Baton Rouge Southern Railroad (LA) – 8 years November 15 – Phoenix Transload Terminal (AZ) – 4 years November 15 – Pecos Valley Southern Railroad (TX) – 9 years November 23 – Cicero Central Railroad (IL) – 6 years November 24 – Crafton Transload Terminal (TBT) (PA) – 1 year November 29 – Refugio Transload Terminal (TX) – 3 years
A Message to the Watco Team from Dan Smith, CEO At Watco, we have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. For me, I’m especially grateful for your dedication and hard work. Watco wouldn’t be the company it is today without the many contributions and support of all our team members. In 2021, we continued to pull together as a team to serve our customers in a safe and consistent manner, and discover ways to continually improve. We were able to elevate and grow our business by serving new industries and new customers to keep the supply chain moving. We have the best team in the business and I’m proud to work with each of you. Be well, stay safe, and enjoy the holidays with your family. Merry Christmas,
Dan
December 2021 | The Dispatch 3
Celebrating 30 Years and Counting! Pictured (l-r): James “KB” Belsha and Tony Clark recently celebrated their 30-year work anniversary at Watco. In DeRidder, Louisiana, Watco team members recently celebrated not one but two 30-year work anniversaries. Watco Vice President of Operations Tony Clark and Timber Rock Railroad (TIBR) Trainmaster James Belsha started a week apart in the fall of 1991 as boxcar cleaners at Boise Cascade, now known as DeRidder PCA Switching. For Clark, he still remembers and lives by the advice he received during the early days of his Watco career. “From day one, we were taught that our customers come first,” Clark said. “At Watco, training isn’t just about learning how to do your job. It’s about how to take care of your customers.” As their careers advanced, Clark and Belsha both relocated to Houston, Texas, to work at Greens Port. There, Clark served as location manager and Belsha as a conductor/engineer assisting as contractors with setting up switching operations. Clark said, “Job titles look great on business cards but don’t matter much to me. When we were at Greens Port, we all switched cars. We all pitched in to get the job done.” After three years at Greens Port, Clark and Belsha returned home to the Pelican State to work as a regional manager and conductor/engineer. Belsha welcomed his chance to return home to continue doing a job he loved at TIBR. Belsha said, “I’ve always taken great pride in knowing my line. I know my customers. I can look at a train and tell you which cars go to which customers.” Now a trainmaster, Belsha enjoys mentoring his team of engineers and conductors. With zero incidents or injuries reported during his career, Belsha stresses to team members the importance of safety and customer service. “I always tell my team to take the safest course and be cautious of what they are doing,” Belsha said. “I also push them to communicate with customers. Be open and make sure they are taken care of.” 4 The Dispatch | December 2021
Bon Appetit! Watco Transports Pizza’s Main Ingredient A pizza isn’t complete without a crust. It’s what holds the sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice together. And believe it or not, it’s brought to you by Watco. Watco’s Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad (KO) transports wheat for co-op customers to the Wichita Terminal Association (WTA). From there, the WTA delivers wheat to mills in Wichita to be made into flour. As flour, it’s sent to locations across the country via truck and rail. One of those mills ships flour to the KO’s sister railroad, the Grand Elk Railroad (GDLK). Once the flour is handed off to the GDLK at Elkhart, Indiana, it rides the rails to Grand Rapids, Michigan. More than 54 million pounds of flour makes the trip each year, with each railcar holding an average 219,000 pounds of flour. Once the flour arrives at the customer location in Grand Rapids, it’s unloaded, and delivered to a local baking company where they not only make pizza dough from the flour, but prepare individual pizzas to be distributed by a major pizza chain. From grain to flour, flour to pizza crust, and pizza crust to pizza being delivered to your front door, Watco’s railroads are proud to work as a team to play a part in providing Americans with one of their all-time favorite foods.
December 2021 | The Dispatch 5
6 The Dispatch | December 2021
Watco Hustles to Deliver the Holidays Santa gets most of the credit for delivering Christmas. But he has helpers, and they include elves in Watco workshops. These workshops are disguised — as rail yards, warehouses, offices, docks, and terminals. And Watco elves are hustling in their many different roles to ensure Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are happy and bright. Watco is not limited in our logistical support by region or scope – we go where our customers go and each season and year this changes. We change to accommodate our customers’ needs, to get their products where they’re needed. For a major discount retailer, Watco’s Logistics Division acts as a logistics coordinator to support a significant amount of deliveries to fill department store shelves around the U.S. Yep, the Christmas lights, the pine-scented candles, the garland. Even ugly sweaters. Besides supporting the retail experience, Watco assists with online shopping. When Amazon boxes show up on the doorstep, a couple of Watco locations are involved. On the Stillwater Central Railroad (SLWC) in Oklahoma, Watco moves paper that’s turned into Amazon boxes. In Idaho, the Burley Transload Terminal stores the boxes and ships them to fulfillment centers. We need to mention the role of coal. Not because you’re getting some in your stocking. It’s because we haul this fuel from mines to power plants all over the country. Watco’s switching teams are busy in one of the larger coal producing areas, the Powder River Basin (Wyoming), loading coal to be railed out across the country. Many Watco terminals like Port Birmingham (Alabama) and Louisville River Road (Kentucky) handle coal, and so do railroads like the Birmingham Terminal Railway in Alabama and Kanawha River Railroad, operating in Ohio and West Virginia. Those are a few of the Watco locations helping bring electricity to homes hosting holiday gatherings. Then there’s the food. Flavorful Christmas turkeys might’ve grown up eating grain carried by railroads like the Arkansas Southern. So might the chickens that laid the eggs for eggnog and for all the holiday cookie and pie baking. The flour on the kitchen counter might be from wheat that moved on the Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad; the sugar, on the Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad. There’s butter in Burley, as well as potatoes for mashing or frying into latkes. The coffee drinkers who use artificial sweetener can appreciate the folks at the Phoenix Transload Terminal. And those who get into the holiday spirit with spirits can count on the Kaw River Railroad. It’s that time of year for fruitcake, so it’s a good thing the SLWC carries the makings for brandy and rum. Many of those toys under the Christmas tree got their start as plastic pellets. The adhesive tape holding the gift wrap together is in the plastics family, too. So are the trash bags that come out at the end of the celebration. The Grand Elk, South Kansas & Oklahoma, and other railroads played a part in getting the pellets to manufacturing plants. This holiday season, we acknowledge all of Santa’s helpers who had a hand behind the scenes. Your hard work not only keeps the supply chain moving but supplies families with basic needs and presents found underneath the tree. Thank you for all that you do. December 2021 | The Dispatch 7
Watco Offers Water Rescue Training Watco operates marine terminals and ports on the
“Others in the industry were having man-overboard
shores of America’s waterways, lakes, and coasts.
issues, and a couple had lost people. So, in true
Moving freight by barge and vessel is one of the
Watco fashion, terminal managers got together,
most economical and efficient means to do so, but
looked at the regulations, and discussed what we
it comes with an additional safety hazard: water.
could do to ensure that didn’t happen to our team,”
That’s why the Watco Terminal & Ports Operations
Sharitt said.
and Safety teams collaborated to ensure our marine terminals have both the water rescue boats and the training needed to operate these vessels.
Under current regulations, terminals are not required to have a rescue boat on-site. “We said, ‘That doesn’t mean we can’t go above and beyond
From conception to implementation, it takes time
to protect our team, or to assist in case a customer
to formalize any water training program. Safety
or contractor does go in (to the water),’” said Sharitt.
Manager Tim Sharitt was a marine terminal manager
“We started putting it all together, got approval for
in Alabama when he helped introduce rescue
the rescue boats, and then realized we didn’t have
water training program to Watco. He along with
training to use them.”
other leaders met to discuss the need for rescue capabilities and training. 8 The Dispatch | December 2021
Sharitt’s previous experience helped solve for this. As a former first responder, he performed water
He’s traveled across our waterway network leading this training. Sharitt also provides CPR and first-aid courses. “I thoroughly enjoy what I do. I like to see the different atmospheres of different locations and learn the unique challenges they face, and then show them how to overcome them,” Sharitt said. His training has already yielded benefits. The Vicksburg, Mississippi, team had no issues during the recent retrieval of a team member who fell off a barge. The rescue boats have benefits beyond helping team members as well. Some locations use them to inspect docks, sea walls, and boats because they are easily maneuverable. However, the focus is our team and customers’ safety. “Mr. Sharitt’s training and teaching style are second to none,” said Osceola (Arkansas) Marine Terminal Superintendent of Rail Operations Stefanie Gentles, who recently went through Sharitt’s training. “The skills he is teaching are not only useful in our facilities but can be used as rescues, and had worked with a boat manufacturer during that time. The Watco team, including Safety Managers Jordan Vasquez and Matt Machell, worked
life-long skills outside of our jobs. He empowers our teams to recognize hazards, allowing us to prevent accidents and injuries.”
with this company to supply our terminals with boats, storage/launching facilities, and develop the training program. The training begins in the classroom with a job safety analysis to identify the hazards each team could face. Then, they identify the roles each person will play in the exercise and simulate a rescue. Later, they implement their classroom training with a life-size dummy during an in-water rescue. They practice how to grasp the person in the water, whether they are conscious or not, how to put a floating backboard under someone if they are injured, and how to get them into a safe place in the bow of the boat. “It has to be a well-oiled machine. The team has to agree to trust the captain and each other to do the right thing, and they need to know how to do it in waters as rough as the Mississippi River,” Sharitt said. December 2021 | The Dispatch 9
Get Ready to FREEZE Here’s your chance to earn cold, hard cash
Are you up for the challenge? Winter FREEZE starts NOW through March 31, 2022! Watco team members who want to earn an extra post-holiday bonus on their paycheck should consider participating in Watco’s new Winter FREEZE safety program, effective December 1. Team members who submit selected near-miss incidents and safety suggestions will receive a cool $200.
What it is FREEZE stands for Following Rules Every Day Ensures Zero Errors. Watco designed the program to create safer work environments. This is done by
10 The Dispatch | December 2021
having team members submit near misses and safety suggestions. In previous years, a certain number of winners were selected from the different service areas but this year, only the best of the best will be selected as winners. Travis Herod, Senior Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety, along with others from the safety team will be selecting the best near misses or safety suggestions. The number of winners could be 10 or more, or it could only be one, depending on how many entries there are and the quality of the submissions. Herod said, “I’m hoping that we can get a lot of submissions this year throughout the entire length of the program. Last year we started out strong and then it slowed down at the end. I would like to see that change this year.”
Photo by Peter Hayes
Herod hopes the program helps team members form new safety habits, like looking out for potential hazards. Team members are encouraged to keep improving our safety measures to keep themselves and their fellow teammates safe. “We want to hear from you,” said Herod. “Safety is everyone’s responsibility. And no one knows what’s going on in the field better than our team members.”
How it works Between now and March 31, when team members spot a near-miss incident or have a safety idea, whether it is winter-related or not – they should tell their local managers about it. The
managers then will enter the suggestions into Watco’s VelocityEHS system that tracks safety data. Each month, Watco’s safety leadership team will compile all the entries and select the ones with the most potential to prevent an accident or solve a safety issue. The winners will then receive an additional $200 bonus, after taxes, on their paycheck.
Where to get more info More information about Watco’s Winter FREEZE safety program will be posted on Watco Vision, social media, and in weekly emails. Those with questions about the program can ask their local leadership, division safety manager, or anyone on the safety team.
December 2021 | The Dispatch 11
Team Member Anniversaries Congratulations to the following team members celebrating December anniversaries:
1 Year: Austin Allen, Drew Andreas, Dylan Ballard, Demarcos Barnes, Marcus Beckerle, Cameron Brown, Antonio Brownfield, Clara Coomes, Michael Criswell, Joe Critchley,
Brandon Neal, Don Nettles, Jared Northrup, Emilio Razo, Branden Shirley, Ryan Slaton, Lauren Speer, Jesse Thomas, Timothy Thompson, Daniel Villamaria, William Vinciguerra
5 Years: Jason Garza, Joel Gibson, Michael Goss, James Langan, Kyle Loofboro, Luis Salmon, Lorri Smith, Kevin Thornton, John Turner, Michele Valdivia, Madison Williams
Rena Crull, Cameron Fardjami,
3 Years: Garrett Belgarde,
Nathan Grimm, Tyler Hardy,
Steven Bernard, Daulton Brown,
James Hearn, Douglas Heasley,
Anthony Caruthers, Kyle Cornelius,
Bradley Holt, Amber Litke,
Drew Davied, Christopher
Jeremiah Llewellyn, Andrew
Davis, Alison Denzel, Zachary
Longoria, Christopher Lopez,
Eriksen, Connor Friedrichsen,
7 Years: Lindsey Alexander,
Matthew Matlock, Patrick
Christopher Goodwin, Michael
Rebecca Armentrout, David
Michalski, Tayjione Nathan, Levi
Hallman, Branson Herring,
Baudoin, Jeffrey Brawley, Jared
Phelps, Akeem Pittman, Joseph
Rodney Huffman, Ryan Johnsrud,
Duyck, Scott Hallman, Nathan
Plowman, Stephen Quintanilla,
Shaquille Lane, Tramare Lanfair,
Higgins, Bradley Hutchings,
Aaron Rachal, Robert Richie,
Joseph Lehnert, Robert Lopata,
Lena Kebert, Gus Luquette,
Anthony Rogers, Zachary Rogers,
Michael Market, Marcus Mask,
Shaun Maurin, Jerrad Read,
Adam Schwarzkopf, Garland
Dustin Mauppins, Dominic
Douglas Smith, Latorrance Taylor,
Senegal, Chase Shields, Seth
Nicosia, Efrain Ramirez, Brandon
Leah Woods
Stamper, Michael Strong, Justin
Smith, Robert Snyder, Jamie
Studaker, Benjiman Taylor,
Winda, Tayler Wright
8 Years: Robert Harbour,
Braxton Vega, Jared Wagner,
4 Years: Steven Bochman,
Matthew Ware, Brandon Zigler
6 Years: Jon Beach, Mark Coronado, James Fountain, John Peterson, Robert Rogers, Tyler Roshong
Kyle Henson, Benjamin Kraus, Stephen Potts, Joshua Roberts,
Justin Brewster, Ryan Byrns,
Tiffany Schmidt, Nancy Vargas,
James Clinton, Michael Conner,
Brian Watson
Allen, Jessica Austin, Jeffery Bell,
Christopher Dunsworth, Casey
Blake Blair, Richard Boyle, Clayton
Ediger, Jordan Garza, David
9 Years: Bradley Beckner, Kyle
Bringer, Kenissa Brown, Kraig
Glover, Christopher Guillot,
Butcher, Matthew Davis, Ruben
Clayton Hayes, David Holt,
De Leon, Kristin DeBlas, Robin
Marcus Johnson, Perry Lambert,
Fish, Tanner Hamilton, Robert
William Mann, Michael Moore,
10 Years: Dexter Cahill, Hector
Harvey, Michael Hawkins,
Chase Norton, Amanda Olson,
DeHoyos, Terry Dugar, Charles
Jerome Hunter, Benjamin
David Paspalofski, Jeffrey Power,
Engels, Ryan Krull, Kevin Rinear,
Jackson, Stephen Krupp,
Daniel Rowden, Christian Snider,
Christopher Walther, Steven
Sha Lawrie, Jacob Linnebur,
Alison Suarato, Wendy Trevizo,
Wisniewski
Rojelio Mancias, Chris Mangar,
James Warma, Jennifer Welch,
Hassan Marshall, Kyle Morgan,
Jesse Winegarner
2 Years: Chelsey Adkins, Timothy
Mark Morgan, Mikayla Morton, 12 The Dispatch | December 2021
Brown, Michelle Ivey, Jason Jewell, Brian King, Brenna Prestholt, Victor Smith
11 Years: Michael Hancock, Jennifer May, Lisa Powell
Team Member Anniversaries 12 Years: Robert Aldredge,
17 Years: Michael Hensley,
26 Years: Alex Contreras,
Timothy Eccles, George Freeman,
Rafael Hernandez, Crezentia
Israel Garcia, Bryan Miller, Lupe
Cheryl Galler, Christopher
Van Becelaere
Ramirez, Roger Schaalma
Jackson, Charles Price, Eugene
18 Years: Johnnie Brown,
27 Years: Michael Carr 28 Years: Sherry Miser 31 Years: Claude McGuff 34 Years: Rodney King 35 Years: Ronald Faulkner 41 Years: James Miller 42 Years: John Herron 43 Years: Roderick Bodfield
Stevens, Montez Tedford, Melissa Tuman, Joel Wilmoth
13 Years: Daniel Giacalone 14 Years: Pedro Balensia,
Anthony Clark, Lonnie Johnson, Stephanie Mize, Ismael Mondragon
19 Years: John DeLeonyPena,
Richard Buehre, Kurt Kilgore,
Craig Richey
Penny Wood
20 Years: Roy Buckhalter,
15 Years: Kevin Beam, Richard Hensley, Transito Pedraza, Jonathan Tavernaro
16 Years: Cedric Bonner, Joe Mercer, Obed Valdez,
Johnny Johnson, David Larch
22 Years: Charles Karamales 2 Years: Richard Ofiara 24 Years: Anthony Tillman
Joshua Williams
Purchase Card & Fleet Card Deadlines and Expectations With the holidays quickly approaching and schedules becoming filled with activities, the Treasury department wants to remind everyone to keep up with your weekly purchase card and/or fleet card reviews. The holidays historically bring a prominent spike in fraudulent activity and the weekly review of cards is our best defense. A few items to note: • Cardholder reconciliations are due by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time every Tuesday. • Manager approvals are due by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time every Wednesday. • Reconciliations and approvals should also be completed each week for zero balance statements. • If you will be unable to complete your review due to vacation, illness, travel with no cell or internet service, etc., please email purchasecard@watco.com and your manager so other arrangements can be made. • It is recommended that all receipts be uploaded to Wells Fargo, regardless of the transaction amount. This removes the burden of maintaining paper receipts from the cardholder and ensures that the receipts are available for documentation purposes and ease of access for any future reference needs. If you have any questions or concerns about these or any other topics, please email purchasecard@watco.com, or call (620) 308-5797 or (620) 231-2230 ext. 797. December 2021 | The Dispatch 13
New Arrivals Gamila Mothana, Saleh and Zaneb Mothana announce the birth of their daughter, Gamila Mothana, born October 2, 2021. Gamila weighed 4 pounds, 10 ounces, and was 17 inches long. She was welcomed home by her brothers Mohamed and Ali and her sisters Yasmin, Hanan, and Deena. Saleh is a Bosun at the Southwest Brooklyn MTS Dedicated Terminal in Brooklyn, New York.
To submit your new arrival send a photo and information to marketing@watco.com
Swan Ranch Railroad Spreads Christmas Cheer The Swan Ranch Railroad (SRRR) got festive the weekend after Thanksgiving by partnering with Operation Lifesaver (OLI) to spread holiday cheer and safety awareness in the Cheyenne (Wyoming) Christmas Parade. SRRR General Manager Cody Jensen serves on the OLI Wyoming state board and said the team and their families had a great time. In fact, they’re already planning on building a train float for next year!
14 The Dispatch | December 2021
