The
Dispatch The newsletter for Watco Companies
March 2021
Table of Contents
Winter Freeze 2020-2021 ____________________________________________________________________________ 4-5 Gregg Robbins and Team Guard Watco Data _________________________________________________________ 6 Watco Bids Farewell to a True ‘River Man’ ____________________________________________________________ 7 Watco in the News __________________________________________________________________________________ 8 Team Member Anniversaries ________________________________________________________________________ 9-10 New Arrivals _________________________________________________________________________________________ 11
Highlights Check out our new spring jackets on watcogear.com
On the Cover The
Dispatch The newsletter for Watco Companies
March 2021
Supplies and deliveries may be slower due to COVID.
On the cover: The Watco team at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa dock transloads wind turbine tower sections from barge to truck on a bright spring day. The tower sections are moved to storage within the port or Don’t forget, all Watco team members will have $5.00 flat-rate shipping on all orders placed through Watco Gear. 2 The Dispatch | March 2021
moved to an off-site staging area before arriving at their final destination. Photo by Jay Benedict
Safety Anniversaries
February 1 – Bronx Dedicated Terminal (NY) – 6 years February 1 – Brooklyn Dedicated Terminal (NY) – 6 years February 1 – Brooklyn (Hamilton) MTS Dedicated Terminal (NY) – 3 years February 1 – Roanoke Transload Terminal (VA) – 6 years February 4 – Linden Dedicated Terminal (NJ) – 1 year February 11– St. Louis Transload Terminal (MO) – 2 years February 12 – Wisconsin & Southern Railroad (WI, IL) – 3 years February 16 – Columbus Transload Terminal (TBT) (OH) – 6 years February 18 – Canal Point Repair and Maintenance Shop (FL) – 6 years February 23 – Timber Rock Railroad (LA, TX) – 5 years
Safely Improve Every Day
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WINNERS The Watco safety team selected the second group of Winter Freeze safety award winners. Thank you to these ten team members for recognizing these hazards and taking preventative action before they became incidents. Name: Phillip Pizzolato, Conductor Location: Linden, New Jersey, Bayway Switching Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: The crew noticed a gap in the facing point switch on the heavy side of the plant. They stopped to inspect the switch and found it had been run through by the customer’s shuttle wagon. Pizzolato informed the trainmaster of the condition of the switch. Solution: The customer was made aware of the issue and the switch is out of service pending repair.
Name: Daniel Ebarb, Railcar Repairman Location: Zwolle, Louisiana, Mechanical Repair Shop Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: During a meeting, team members were reminded to be extra cautious when climbing and walking in areas where ice is more likely to accumulate. After the meeting, Ebarb suggested putting an anti-skid surface on the scaffolds and volunteered to do it himself. Solution: His supervisor obtained anti-skid material that Ebarb then applied to all three scaffolds.
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Names: Malachi Cousin and Dylan Matlock, Railcar Repairmen Location: Neodesha, Kansas, Mechanical Repair Shop Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: Cousin and Matlock were both performing grinding work on a work bench and recognized they needed to protect each other from grinding sparks and debris. Solution: They implemented a divider that would prevent sparks or debris from being directed at each other and causing harm.
Name: Marcus Johnson, Conductor Location: Ann Arbor Railroad, Toledo, Ohio Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: When gates didn’t come down at a grade crossing, a locomotive stopped short of the crossing. Then, as the conductor was flagging the crossing, the gates came down, but only after the first railcar had already traveled into the crossing. Solution: A sign was installed at the crossing stating to wait 20 seconds after the crossing is activated before entering the crossing.
Name: Billy Morris, Mechanic Name: John Ray, Conductor/Engineer Location: Louisiana Southern Railroad, Minden, Louisiana Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: Ray noticed the bridge they were on had a sway in it when they took a locomotive over it. He then notified the trainmaster and track inspector of the situation. Solution: The bridge was inspected and will have repairs made.
Location: Louisville River Road, Louisville, Kentucky Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: Team members inspecting an empty barge prior to loading discovered soybeans on the coaming of the barge. Some of those beans had blown into the cargo hold. Morris recognized this as a potential problem for the customer. Solution: Morris led the effort to remove the soybeans from the coaming and the cargo hold, preventing the contamination of the lightweight aggregate to be loaded in the barge.
Name: Chad Simpkins, Conductor/Engineer Location: Grand Elk Railroad, Kalamazoo, Michigan Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: Simpkins noted that the communications procedure between the dispatcher and crews needed to be fixed. The calls can time out whether the call is answered or not. This can be in the middle of a conversation and can require going back through the entire procedure again. He also recommended using the radios that are used by dispatch to talk to train crews, maintenance of way, and one of our contractors in the field instead of calling the crews on company phones. Solution: The railroad will work on correcting the radio issues and check on the possibility of using the radios instead of calling crews on company phones.
Name: Steven Schadler, Operator Location: Ghent Marine Terminal, Ghent, Kentucky Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: Schadler was operating a material handler and stacking material in a bay when he noticed the stick cylinder pin was coming out of the boom-and-stick joint. Solution: Schadler stopped work immediately and informed the supervisor that repair was needed to avoid equipment damage.
Congratulations to each of these team members for reporting their observations to their supervisors, who worked with them to rectify the issues and submit their good catches to the Watco safety team. The winners have received safety bonuses for their efforts.
Name: Cooper Cose, Lead Operator Location: Fryburg, North Dakota, Dedicated Terminal Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: While doing a final inspection on the natural gas liquid rack, Cose noticed a tank car that had been loaded on the prior night shift had frost on the product valve. Upon a more thorough inspection, he concluded the product valve was slightly open. Solution: Cose made sure all valves were tooltight and replaced the seal on the car.
March 2021 | The Dispatch 5
Gregg Robbins and Team Guard Watco Data some sort occurs. Robbins said, “Attackers who are out to steal information continually come up with new tricks to access our information, so it’s important to defend our systems and be diligent 100% of the time.” He added, “Here’s an example of what all of us are dealing with: Just this past week, a list of 3 billion emails and passwords was being sold for $2 a copy. That's billion with a B. We are constantly under attack by thieves using spam emails, phishing emails, and other methods to try to break into our online systems. The attackers are smart, and we need to do what we can to deter them.”
Gregg Robbins Director of Technical Services and Security With hackers constantly on the attack and trying to steal our business and personal information, it’s good to have someone like Watco’s Gregg Robbins to help keep our data secure. As Watco’s Director of Technical Services and Security, Robbins and his team are responsible for keeping Watco safe from outside forces trying to steal our information. Robbins will soon begin sharing tips with the Watco team members on cybersecurity pertaining to both work and personal matters. Robbins studied computer programming at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, and went on to work for several companies in information technology (IT). In 2001, he worked with a team that had been given a grant to work on a security algorithm and he has been working in an IT security role ever since. Robbins began his career at Watco in 2016 working on disaster recovery and system information. Why is cyber security so important? Robbins stated that once a new device is connected to the internet, it takes an average of 1.5 minutes before an attack of
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Robbins’ role is to is to collect information from agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation on threats that have been detected, training opportunities, and notices on system patches which provide tighter security. While Robbins is managing those efforts, his team is watching monitors, looking for email alerts, and suspicious activity. “One of the most important areas that we need to watch and protect ourselves from is malicious and phishing emails,” said Robbins. “Any one of them can lead to a chain of events that have a detrimental effect. If a team member thinks they have received one of these phishing emails, please notify the cybersecurity team so that we may evaluate it and use the information to keep the company and our team members safe.”
If you see something suspicious, contact the cybersecurity team at emailthreats@watco.com.
Watco Bids Farewell to a True ‘River Man’ Watco Team Member Geron Crotwell can trace his family roots to the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, area back to the 1700s. The area is laced with waterways, and Crotwell has always been a river man, both professionally and personally. When he retires on April 14, he’ll still be a river man, but in a different capacity. Crotwell currently serves as General Manager for Watco’s Baton Rouge and Port Arthur marine terminals and he has connections with the terminals that go back to a time before he joined the Watco team. When Crotwell first graduated high school, he got a job as an iron worker building vessels. He left that trade in 1979 at the ripe age of 19 to work on the river dock as a foreman. They provided service to a company called Reynolds, which would eventually become Oxbow, the customer currently served by the Baton Rouge terminal. He also worked on the dock at the Port Arthur terminal and was there in 1987, when they were working with a temporary crane barge, and in 1990, when a permanent crane and crane barge were installed. Crotwell wore many hats on his career path that led him to Watco. He worked his way through the ranks at Hall-Buck Marine from 1979 as a barge foreman to 1997 when he was vice president of operations, when it was sold to Kinder Morgan. “Hall-Buck was a good place to work,” said Crotwell. “It was very family oriented, similar to Watco.” Joe Brown, Watco Vice President of Operations, met Crotwell back in the Hall-Buck Marine days. He said, “I convinced Geron to hire me to write a database program to automate inventory tracking. That was a success, and he offered me a full-time job and convinced me to come work in the marine industry. Geron always reminds me where my career started. I’ve never forgotten, and my family and I thank him and wish him the best in retirement!”
Geron Crotwell, General Manager Baton Rouge and Port Arthur Marine Terminals Building is something Crotwell plans to do on his family property once he retires. He’s working on a new, larger shop to hold all of the projects he’s building or rebuilding. The property, which features five houses, is known to locals as Geronimo’s Compound. It’s home to Crotwell, his wife and their three kids, and their families. Jason Ford, Watco Vice President of Operations over Baton Rouge and Port Arthur, said, “I hope his next adventure in life is as fruitful as the experience he has shared with us. He will truly be missed.”
Crotwell’s career path is an interesting one for someone who got a scholarship in art and majored in history. “My love is drawing things and going out and building it,” he explained. “I can’t wait to see the finished product.” March 2021 | The Dispatch 7
Watco in the News Watco Ranks as One of America’s Best Mid-Size Employers by Forbes. Watco made the Forbes list of top mid-sized companies by scoring positively based on Watco team members’ input on work-related topics such as working conditions, salary, potential for development, and company image. Read more Rachael Peterson, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, was named a Railway Age “Fast Trackers” 20 Under 40. Each year, the magazine spotlights 20 individuals who are under the age of 40 and are making positive impacts on the rail industry and their company. Read more Watco Logistics Teams Up with Crowley to create a comprehensive land and offshore logistics solution for energy producers. Read more
Laura McNichol, Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Relations, joined industry experts in a webinar hosted by the National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association and Railway Age magazine. Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (N.J.), chair of the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials was joined by McNichol, CN Railway’s Assistant Vice President & Head of U.S. Public & Government Affairs David Woodruff and TGA Association Management Solutions President Matt Ginsberg to discuss what the rail industry and its contractors can expect from the new presidential administration. Sustainability is also a goal for the Biden administration, and rail is the most eco-friendly surface freight transportation. “Our industry works so well together. Class I railroads might have differing objectives from short lines sometimes, but we’re regulated similarly. We can agree on safety and economic goals and work toward them together. This industry is nationwide, but still close-knit. We’re looking forward to working with the new administration to continue to innovate and build on the U.S. rail infrastructure,” McNichol said.
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Team Member Anniversaries Congratulations to the following team members celebrating March anniversaries:
1 Year: Sergio Alvarez, Francisco
Jeffery Bynum, Michael Campbell, Jose Carrizales, LaTavis Devine, Isaias Diaz, Anthony Fernandez, Edley Finning, Enrique Garcia, John Garrison, Tristan Gill, Nichole Grove, Benjamin Hasselbusch, Matthew Inman, Johnny Jackson, Alan Lawrence, Skyler Mack, Matthew Marley, Devinaire Martinez, Scott Massey, Bryan Melgar, Carnell Minnifield, Dylan Nesbit, Sara Peak, Jose Piedra, Alexander Potts, Francisco Ramirez, Richard Rockwell, Eduardo Sierra Abarca, Marcy Sloan, Chance Taber, Zach Thomson, Royce Turner Steven Bringer, David Terry
Alvear, Irving Anguiano Torres, Gelman Aranda Valladares, Aaron Awbrey, Douglas Belcher, Joseph Bell, Demas Benoit, Kirby Bilsland, Hunter Boykin, Rodney Brown, Reene Bruce, Ted Buchler, Angel Camacho, Vincent Caprini, Alberto Cardenas, Aaron Carreon, Lisseth Casco, Juan Cerda, Mindy Clark, Gregory Cooper, Sierra Delgado, Dalton Doyle, Lawrence Egbujor, Johnny Fonseca Jr, Sean Fuselier, Gabriel Gonzalez, Luis Granados, Sergio Guerrero, Royce Haines, Derick Handegan, Tyarias Haynes, Paula Horne, William Horne, Richard Hutchison, Andre Jackson, Jeffery Jackson, Lendarrow Johnson, Cedric Jones, Bernanbe Juarez Camey, Anes Kuduzovic, Joseph Lee, Danielle MacKenzie, Derwin Malloy, Jule Manning, William Martinez, Kenyon McClendon, Julio Melendez, Joe Munoz, Jose Najera, Victor Nerys, Romeo Olvera, Eliseo Ortega, Manuel Penaloza, Eric Perez, Dakota Phillips, Darrell Phillips, Lindsey Phillips, Donald Pratt, Phil Robinson, Melvin Rodriguez, Joshua Roy, Nazim Russell-Elizee, Raphael Salinas, Brett Sellers, Stephanie Silva, Johnathen Smith, Maureen Solomon, Richard Sosa, Mark Speer, Terri Spiller, Billy Starks, Eric Szarneczky, Danielle Turner, Jesus Vieyra Alvarez, Gregorio Villa, Mario Villalobos, Jonathan Wallette, Damon Washington
Cunningham, Brent Eggers, Capus Hendrix, Bobby Irvin, Michael Jackson, Thomas Kaczynski, William Lester, Curtis Marks, Angela Meales, Kory Phillips, Victor Rainey, Joshua Theis, Bobbie Wright
2 Years: Kevin Bain, Deronte
5 Years: Maurice Acklin,
Baker, Clarence Brindley, Nathaniel Brock, Gregory Bryan,
3 Years: Joel Armenta-
Delgado, Trace Azure, Bobby Baker, Timothy Befort, Tanner Bond, Michael Burns, Michael Catterton, Jordan Chamberlain, Linda Cisneros, Antonio Colunga, Talon Cook, Aaron Dean, Aaron Eriksen, Amanda Evers, Kyle Futrell, Jordan Garcia, Jeremy Horning, Laura Jagels, Katelyn Junyor, Gavin Laquet, Jonathan Pierangeli, Davis Rodriguez, Joseph Santucci, Walker Schrag, Montel Stanley, Dustin Tally, Scott Wolff, Justin Wooten
4 Years: Amy Andrews, Justin
John Bates, Myles Black, Jesus Hernandez, Anwar Jenkins, Chase
Kinard, Dorminick Lampkin, Cameron Leighton, Jeffery Leone, Delmer Lydick, Howard Noland, Jared Rahmn, Franklyn Roldan, Zachariah Wilson
6
Years: Zachery Barajas, Christopher Blackman, Gavin Burrell, Corey Corrick, Michael Dally, Joely Gath, Kenneth Green, Natalie Hammond, Neil Heerdink, Benjamin Langan, Austin Norris, William Rowell
7
Years: Cody Brooks, Rasheda Combs, Jason Doane, Christian Gomez, Homer Imel, Nathan Kuykendall, Victor Prosolow, Jason Selzler, Grover Wise
8 Years: Chance Adair, Bryant
Boatman, Travis Bost, Jerry Bruce, Rene Cantu, Richard Carter, Matthew Crisswell, Michael Hayden, Miles Maher, Jerry Morris, Bryan Payne, Colin Pinson, Jeffery Robertson, Corey Sepulvado, Cory Trowe
9
Years: Jacob Bagby, Brent Killian, Jeremy Madsen, Marc Massoglia, Brad Payne, Bradley Seideman, Wesley Smith, Jeffery White
10
Years: David Brown, Taylor Carter, Evaristo Corona, Richard Grant, Norman Jones, Gerard Sybert
11
Years: Dustin Coester, Kyle Hittesdorf, Anthony Jones, Vicki Langford, Mickel Reeves, Shelly Rustad, Dean Schexnayder, Kenneth Thomas, James Trammell, Cesar Valentin
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Team Member Anniversaries
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Years: Kenneth Cathell, Richard Chadwell, Skip Hastings, Timothy Largent, Gerardo Martinez, Bernardino Osorio Vargas, Johnny Rankin, John Rood, John Rowland, Cecil Traylor Years: Tina Castro, Sean Corr, Robert Gable, John Glover, James Maddux, Brett Norris, Judson Rogers, Eva Rokezewski, Lloyd Wilson Years: Kelvin Banks, Mandi Favalora, Paul Minnis, Danny Sims Years: Frederick Blondiau, Stephen Brath, Michael Colburn, Vincent Frazier, Marlin Garcia, Joe Sandoval, Heather Sepulvado, Gary Westphal
13
14 15
16 Years: Patty Audet, Adelita
Barajas, Tyler Batley, Robert Boyd, Michael Galla, Brian Maxey, Kim Van Royen
17 Years: Kent Ainsworth,
Brenda Caruthers, Charlene Huskey, Bartolome Marrero, Robert Martinez, Rocky Ramage, Kevin Watkins
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18
Years: David Bullion, Frank Davis, Roger Easterling, Mario Garcia, Kenneth Lucht, George Spencer
19 Years: James May, James Napier
20
Years: Robert Bradfield, Joshua Kramer, Brad Snow
21
Years: Edward Garcia, Andre Ledoux
22
Years: Sunil Bangari, Woodrow Jackson, Mark Krause, Terry Parsons, Robert Triebsch
23
Years: Micheal Davis, Bridget Liden
25 Years: William Carroll 26 Years: Fernando Almanza 27 Years: Mark Green, Steven Morgan, Billy Morris
28 Years: Mike Broussard,
Herbert Lamkin
29 Years: Silas Whitley 30 Years: George Kachmar 31 Years: Sherri Leport 32 Years: James Crawford,
Michael Howarth
35 Years: Billy Eddington,
Paul Oppel
37 Years: James Herman 38 Years: Steven Lowther 40 Years: Steven Lang 43 Years: Thomas Beverly 46 Years: Jerry Brown
New Arrivals
Dayton Lawrence Harbour Casey and Sarah Harbour announce the birth of their son, Dayton Lawrence Harbour, born on February 19, 2021. Dayton weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and was 20 inches long. Casey serves as a Sales Manager working out of the Wichita, Kansas, office.
David Alexander Lester Dan and Rachel Lester announce the birth of their son, David Alexander Lester, born on February 21, 2021. David weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces and was 20 inches long. He was welcomed home with great excitement by his older brothers Matthew, 6, and Andrew, 4. Dan is a Vice President of Sales working out of Memphis, Tennessee.
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