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!”

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.” 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.”

Geron Crotwell, General Manager - Baton Rouge and Port Arthur Marine Terminals