The
Dispatch The newsletter for Watco Companies
June 2020 | Volume 21 | Issue 6
Table of Contents
Safety Anniversaries ______________________________________________________________________ 3 Diesel Returns to Blytheville ______________________________________________________________ 4 Rengel Joins Watco Legal Team ___________________________________________________________ 6 Team Member Spotlight: Matt Heeren ___________________________________________________ 8 Alabama Railroad Rolls Out New Logo ____________________________________________________ 10 Team Member Anniversaries _______________________________________________________________ 11
Highlights
On the Cover
Our annual Summer Spike safety program kicked off on Memorial Day. The days between Memorial Day and Labor Day mark a period with potential for increased work and recreational-related injuries. During this time, we ask everyone to be extra vigilant to protect themselves, their families, friends, and team members, and place safety first in all their activities, at work and at play. Each week, we will share information on safety topics that are relevant at work and at home, and our locations will receive messages specifically tailored to the teams. Let’s work together to make it through this critical time safely!
A Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad train was caught crossing the state border from Illinois into Indiana.
2020
2 The Dispatch | June 2020
Photo by Jackson Vandeventer
Safety Anniversaries Congratulations to the following locations that celebrated May Safety Anniversaries May 6: Houston Material Handling (TX) – 7 years May 20: Blytheville Terminal (AR) – 3 years May 22: Pittsburg Mechanical (KS) – 3 years May 23: Dravosburg Terminal (PA) – 2 years May 30: Gillette Black Thunder Switching (WY) – 3 Years May 31: Green River Ciner Switching (WY) – 8 years
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June 2020 | The Dispatch 3
Diesel Returns to Blytheville
4 The Dispatch | June 2020
There’s a reason that the Watco team places so
Kevin Wright provided required hazmat training
much emphasis on building customer relationships.
to the 17 team members at the facility. Each
It’s our customer-first mentality, plus, many times,
team member was also required to obtain a
those relationships will lead to new opportunities
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
for Watco. Such is the case at the barge terminal in
(TWIC) card as part of the Maritime Transportation
Blytheville, Arkansas.
Security Act, which is required by Coast Guard-
For the past several years, the terminal has
licensed facilities.
specialized in fertilizer and fertilizer blending.
Terminal Manager Vancell Lucas said, “It was crunch
However, at one time, the location also served
time, and there were several things that needed to
the diesel industry. An employee of a former
be done in a short amount of time. The safety team
Blytheville diesel customer had taken a position
came in to assist, and they did an outstanding job
with another company, and when they needed to
getting us through the whole process and giving
move and store diesel, he thought of the Blytheville
us a hand to make sure we got our TWIC cards,
facility. He reached out to his Watco connection,
and anything else needed to make sure we met all
who introduced him to Len Crescenzo, the sales
safety requirements.”
manager who covers the Blytheville terminal.
The first barges began arriving at Blytheville on May
Talks about bringing the diesel into the facility
22. The diesel was pumped through the 1.5-mile-
began in mid-March with an in-tank deadline of
long pipe from the dock to the tanks. It took two
May. There was a lot to get accomplished in just a
weeks for all of the barges – 12 from the north and
short amount of time.
nine from the south – to arrive and get unloaded
“Originally, the contractors said the facility wouldn’t
into the tanks. The final amount of diesel unloaded:
be ready until June 22, almost a month behind what
358,00 barrels or approximately 15,036,000 gallons.
was required; we would’ve lost the opportunity,”
Crescenzo said, “The fact that we were able to get it
said Crescenzo. “I can’t say enough about Watco’s
ready to go in about a 30-day window is impressive.
project management team and how they helped
The team was able to complete the project a
make this happen. Mike McAllister, vice president
full month early, and now the next step will be
of operations, stepped in and did everything he
working on phase two, which will be the outbound
needed to do to make sure it would happen. By
operations side of the project.”
separating the project into two phases, we were able to complete what we needed to do so we could bring in the diesel.” The U.S. Coast Guard regulates the transport of diesel, so the facility was upgraded to Coast Guard standards. Brent Shields, AVP of Safety, and Sean Strong, AVP of Environmental Services, took the lead in meeting Coast Guard requirements and passing inspections to free up the rest of the team to prepare the facility for the incoming diesel. Preparations at the facility included cleaning out onsite tanks, installing specified safety mechanisms, new pumps, modifications to the piping system, and installing flow alarms. Senior Safety Manager
June 2020 | The Dispatch 5
Rengel Joins Watco Legal Team
Matt Rengel | Corporate Counsel
When Matt Rengel accepted the role of Corporate Counsel with Watco there was no way he could have anticipated the amount of personal and professional change that was on the horizon. Within weeks of starting his new position, the world’s population withdrew into the protection of its own homes, offices closed and encouraged their team members to work remotely, and courthouses all but shut down except to honor constitutionally guaranteed protections.
6 The Dispatch | June 2020
“The COVID-19 pandemic provided me with a
“I’m incredibly excited about bringing my prior legal
unique opportunity to familiarize myself with the
experience in the transportation industry to bear for
company instead of focusing exclusively on claims
Watco. There are significant similarities between the
and litigation” said Rengel.
business models that will allow me to capitalize on
As Corporate Counsel, Rengel’s primary
the hard-fought lessons I’ve learned in my almost 20
responsibility will be to represent Watco and
years of legal practice.”
its subsidiaries from bodily injury and property
One thing that Rengel wants to make clear in
damage claims and similar litigation throughout
introducing himself to Watco is that he wants his
North America. He will also focus on overseeing
fellow Watco team members to view him and his
workers’ compensation, longshore claims,
team as a resource.
employment, and environmental matters with the assistance of team members Jamie Wilson, Lori
“I want the team members in the field to understand that Watco’s legal team is here for you
Magee, and Lacie Moore.
anytime day or night,” said Rengel. “We want to be
When asked what attracted him to the opportunity
a valued member of your decision-making process
at Watco, Rengel noted that the company’s
and are more than happy to talk you or your team
culture appeared to align with his personal and
through any legal challenge you may have. Whether
professional values.
it’s gathering information in the field for a claim or
Rengel said, “I immediately recognized a real sense
negotiating with a customer over a contract, don’t
of family at Watco. I went through a rather intensive
be afraid to use us as a resource. That’s what we are
interview process and was struck at the amount of
here for.”
attention that was paid to whether I’d be a good
Although Rengel spends a large portion of his time
fit for the team. There seemed to be a genuine
familiarizing himself with Watco’s legal portfolio,
concern about if I was the type of person who could
he likes to spend his evenings and time off being a
seamlessly flow into the role and be a positive
father to his almost 2-year-old daughter Abigail and
influence on those I worked with. I came away from
a husband to his wife of four years, Gena. Having
those interviews knowing that I was going to work
grown up in the northwest suburbs of Illinois,
for a company that was committed to providing me
Rengel has made the Kansas City area his home for
with an opportunity to lay down long-term roots
the past 18 years and is looking forward to raising his
and develop myself.”
family there for years to come. Rengel and his wife
Prior to joining Watco, Rengel served as Senior
are excited to welcome a second child to their family
Counsel for YRC Worldwide. In that role, Rengel was
in August 2020.
responsible for managing YRC’s nationwide liability portfolio of trucking and logistics claims.
June 2020 | The Dispatch 7
Team Member Spotlight: Matt Heeren
Matt with his dad and grandfather in front of the WSOR 101 locomotive.
Railroading is in Wisconsin & Southern Railroad
“Ever since I was little, it’s what I wanted to do.
(WSOR) Conductor/Engineer Matt Heeren’s
As my parents can always remember, I wanted
blood. He comes from a long line of railroaders.
to work for the railroad,” Heeren said.
His grandfather, great-grandfather, and
It wasn’t his initial career path, though. He started
great-great-grandfather all worked on the Milwaukee Road, which later became part of the Soo Line. Now, he’s operating trains in the same region that his family has for generations. 8 The Dispatch | June 2020
out working for a window furnishings producer in northern Illinois. He was unsure of his future there, and then the factory closed. But Heeren didn’t make his move into railroading until he met a girl.
“It was a girl,” Heeren laughed. “She lived up in
the camaraderie between us team members is so
Wisconsin and went to school with my sister. Next
strong. I work with an amazing team.”
thing I know, I was like ‘There’s a job in Janesville, Wisconsin. You live in Whitewater. Let’s give this a shot.’ Now 16 years and two kids later, we have
The personal and family connection is another aspect of the WSOR that Heeren, unfortunately, became more familiar with recently. His father’s
a happy marriage.”
health quickly declined, and he passed away last
Heeren hired on in 2005 as a conductor, before
December.
the WSOR became part of Watco. He became an engineer in 2007. A position he’s held ever since, and is still based out of Janesville.
“I am forever grateful that the company worked with me so I could help and visit him. When he passed away, the company was extremely helpful giving
Heeren’s days start early, or late, depending on
me the time off I needed during this a very difficult
how you look at it. Most days, he catches a ride
time,” Heeren said.
to Madison, Wisc., and collects all the traffic from that area. Railcars coming from customers on the Reedsburg, Prairie, Cottage Grove, and Watertown subs, and the Canadian Pacific interchange are built into a train and moved by Heeren and his
Heeren enjoys his weekends gardening, raising chickens, visiting family with his wife, Jennifer, 9-year-old son Jacob, and 4-year-old daughter Charlotte. The family inherited land following his dad’s recent passing and are working on a pumpkin
crew down to Janesville.
patch there. He also likes watching trains and helps
“The majority of my train is empties. A lot of our
document worker art.
customers bring goods like metal for canned foods, aggregates, corn, lumber, salt, and scrap metal. We gather up all the Madison area traffic and take it to Janesville for the return trip back to the originator,” Heeren said.
“If you watch railroad cars go by, and you ever see the chalk drawings on a car, all these little markings are from railroad workers. It’s not the graffiti, it’s these small markings, usually from carmen. It’s got a long history, almost 100 years, and I like looking
There’s no aspect of the job Heeren dislikes. His
into the history of it. It’s kind of a secret society that
set schedule, railroad retirement, compensation,
knows about it,” Heeren said.
vacation, benefits, team members, safety focus, and more are the the reason he’s more than happy to stick around. “It’s just pride. It’s an amazing job to have. When I mention to people that I’m a railroader, the first thing out of their mouth is, ‘That must be a great job!’ I make friends with customers while we’re spotting cars. I’ve got a mile, mile-and-a-half of train behind me. That’s my baby, and it’s great,” Heeren said. “Another big part of me staying is because
June 2020 | The Dispatch 9
Alabama Railroad Rolls Out New Logo One thing the state of Alabama doesn’t lack is pride, and Watco’s Alabama Southern Railroad (ABS) team strongly reflects that. They wanted to show their pride in the way they represent themselves and recently unveiled a new logo as part of that effort. Cain Greene, ABS General Manager, moved back home to Alabama when he took the position of general manager in September of 2019. One of the first things his new team members asked him was if the railroad’s logo could be updated. Greene said, “I told the team to come up with some ideas, and I’d see if we would be able to get it done. They came up with several different ideas, and then I worked with Reagan (Chalupnik, Watco’s Creative Director). She fined-tuned it into what we have now.” “They wanted to use the crimson color to tie it in with the University of Alabama, and Cain wanted to make sure it all tied in with the Pulling for the Tide locomotive,” said Chalupnik. “It’s a more modern look, and the scalability will work better when it is sized up or down.” Greene said, “The response has been excellent. Our team members loved it. We showed our two biggest customers, and they were impressed by the new look and how it represents us.”
10 The Dispatch | June 2020
Team Member Anniversaries Congratulations to the following team members celebrating June anniversaries:
1 Year: Chelsea Anderson,
Michael Lawver, Nichole Morcher,
Alexandria Andrews, Jacob
Saleh Mothana, Patrick Nemec,
Atchley, Ruth Becker, Joseph
Dustin Osborne, Kristi Pelfrey,
Bernal, Ruby Blackwood, Adam
Sloan Sanders, Caleb Schmidt,
Blethen, Joshua Buee, Randall
Riley Seger, Travis Sinn, Ivan
Campbell, Gregory Carlton, Jimmy
Smith, Justin Vaclavik, David
Caruthers, James Clark, Kyle
Weber, Mark Woznicki, Julia Yeatts
Cleland, Billy Collins, Adrian Cooks, David Crossley, Kenneth Davis, Jerry Doyle, Shawn Eller, Jermaine
3 Years: Michelle Bowling, Brian Dolan, Gregory Humphreys,
Estes, David Fenton, Reynaldo
William Jennings, Ladarion
Gallegos Almeda, Brandon
Johnson, Christopher Keefe,
Gates, Virginia Goodwill-Sivley,
Joshua Kingery, Francisco
Dustin Hill, Michael Kane, Alonzo
Marroquin, Gilbert Maxie, Luis
Kimbrough, Colter Kofoed, Jeffrey
Medina, Rene Mendoza, Casey
Larson, Jon Link, Seth Lloyd,
Miller, Jamie Owens, Roger Reed,
Kelvin Lopez, Ruben Marroquin,
Amber Reeves, Hugo Silva, Jerick
Patrick McCabe, Laura Mccoy,
Staker, Michael Throne, James
Casey Mckinney, Caleb Muia,
Trollope, Jacob Wiebelhaus,
Juan Olivares, Brandi Orr, Donald
Wayne Wiza
Paulat, Chris Perry, Kyle Peterson,
4 Years: Jacob Baker, Austin
Lashunda Poole, Hagen Presley, Jesse Prine, Darren Scott, Harrison Short, Candace Smith, Timothy Stewart, Bailey Thomas, Christina Villarreal, Ailsa von Dobeneck, Eric Westerfield, Ty White, Amanda Widmer, David Wright, Jennifer Zettler
2 Years: Clifford Birch, Joshua Boudreaux, Clayton Brown, Chase Cannon, Christian Cedeno, Sean Cochran, Robert Cooper, Joseph DaRonche, Jerry Davis, Joshua Dreese, Marquet Freeman, Hunter Griggs, Gina Hansen, Joshua Klossen, Marshall Lafontaine,
Barton, James Cooper, Chad Easterling, Derrick Jackson, Howard Jackson, Ricky Justice, Antonio Perez, Gregg Robbins, Nicholas Sharp, Elizabeth Tatum, Jordan Wagner, Joseph Zachmann
5 Years: Jay Benedict, Cameron Benson, Josiah Breeden, William Butler, Brantley Chambliss, Julie Christensen-Chock, Arla Cress, Curtis Daly, John Jansen, Douglas Jones, Christopher McKinney, James Rehm, Olen Reid, Grant Robinson, Robert Sharp Jr, Norma Torres, Brandon, Vaughn, Jeremy Watson, Stacey
Wilberding Sprayberry, Daniel Tumbleson
6 Years: Robert Ayers, Jamal
Campbell, Timothy Chew, David Eller, Jerod Gofourth, Daniel Gross, Cris Hatcher, Michael Hernandez, Jeffery Joseph, Michael Kot, Jonathan Lacy, Daniel Lee, Zachary Leingang, Jason Longfellow, Brent Morrison, Breana Nalesnik, Javier Pertuz, Kathryn Price, Nicholas Pritchard, Jose Rios, Jose Rodriguez, Joseph Rowan, Charles Skinner, Jason Wetta, Shari Wilson, Eric Wolfe
7
Years: Cassidy Arnold, Larry Belk, Jeff Elkins, Timothy Hart, Philip Hennessee, Edwin Himmerich, Artemus Hines, Sergio Lara, Jenna Maiseroulle, Jerry Rivera, Edward Sepulvado, Jason Sigman, Paul Suarino, John Thompson
8 Years: Ronald Abbott, Sean
Benzmiller, Susan Buffington, Tara Carpenter, Jordan Cheatham, Sean Cox, Curtiss Hemby, Jeff Kelly, Audie Pankhurst, Justin Pankhurst, Brian Pindell, Jacob Renfroe, Steven Renn, Johnathan Robertson, Jose Rodriguez, Angela Schaefer, Amanda Shanholtzer, Derrick Thomas, Duff Wagnon, Dana Wilkerson, Lloyd Young
June 2020 | The Dispatch 11
Team Member Anniversaries
9
Years: Felicia Fearmonti, Brian Keithan, Nathan Kime, Benjamin May, Kristi Nunnelley, Michael Stotts
10 Years: Robert Betts, Jeff Everitt, Silvestre
Garza, Paul Goins, Russell King, Melissa Pennington, Thomas Scheidemantel, Douglas Steed, Brandon Tomblin, John Wimberg
11 Years: Sean Crowe, Brent Marsh 12 Years: James Hite, Adam Jones, Bernardo
Santos, Richard Smith, Rendall Thompson, Matthew Troth
13 Years: Michelle Hubbard, Casey Miller,
Curtis Testerman
14
Years: Randall Chaney, Phillip Forrest, Timothy Ragsdale, Pete Tavernaro
15 Years: Frankie Carpino, Paul Christenson,
David Gonzales, Nicolas Hanson, Jeremy Hollis, Leslie Kissel, Cameron Lundy, James Marr, Randall McIntyre, Angelina Pridemore
16 Years: Nolan Darthard, Otis Jackson, Brian
Kostef, Joey Meadows, Marco Mendoza, Billy Mott, Chad Schilleman
17 Years: Donnie Creed, Mark Glover, Wade Lunt, James Waite
18
Years: Jean Camphort, Matthew Diestler, Carl Silcox, Mark St Aubin
19 Years: Enrique Castillo,
Christopher Hamill, Allen Kellar, Richard Kelly, Duane Spurrier
20 Years: Barbara Crawford, Colin Schneider 21 Years: Anthony Jones 22 Years: Gabriel Carrizales, Christopher Jacobson,
Jason Rossman, Daniel Tank
12 The Dispatch | June 2020
23 Years: Chad Wilson 24 Years: Jason Ford 25 Years: Brian Lanham 27 Years: Sally Berkstresser, Willis Iverson, James McDaniel
28 Years: Teodoro Arellano, John Nippa 29 Years: Paul Lawson 31 Years: William Gamble, Gary Harville,
Michael Pollard
32 Years: Janice Ferrin, Barry Jack 33 Years: Todd Meshell, Jack Sepulvado 39 Years: David Cherry, Michael Koon
