Watco Delivers Christmas Cheer

‘Tis the season to spread Christmas cheer. Aside from singing loud for all to hear, there are other ways to get into the holiday spirit, like decking the halls.

And believe it or not, many popular Christmas decorations are brought to you by Santa’s helpers at Watco. Whether by train, barge, or truck, our team members work together to ensure families nationwide have everything they need to prepare for a happy holiday.

First things first, the star of the season: the tree. Two of Watco’s short line railroads play a hand in delivering commodities that go into sprucing up two types of reusable Christmas trees. The South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad moves polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic while the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad hauls polyethylene. And while there are many uses for these materials, both can ultimately go into making artificial tree needles.

Lights are a necessity when it comes to trimming the Christmas tree. Thankfully, the Watco Logistics team in Clearfield, Utah, is here to help ensure your tree shines bright. One of the many commodities this team coordinates the transportation of is copper wire, which can be found in the strands of white and multicolored lights.

Before making homemade ornaments with your family this holiday season, you’ll first need resin. Carloads of this keepsake’s key ingredient are handled by the elves at Watco’s Euclid Transload Terminal (TBT) in Ohio.

And don’t forget the tree topper. A star, angel, or bow is commonly placed on the top of the tree each holiday season. If it features glitter, chances are many Watco teams had a role in helping move the materials like aluminum that make up this product.

Finally, the tree skirt. Classic velvet, quilted fabric, and fleece tree skirts all share a similarity — they’re made from cotton. The team at the Decatur River Port in Alabama does their part to help farmers grow this crop. They transload the seed that eventually becomes planted, picked, and transformed for multiple uses.

Thank you to our Watco team members for playing a part in making homes bright this holiday season. Merry Christmas!