The
Dispatch The newsletter for Watco
September 2021
Table of Contents A Multi-Service Solution for Southeastern Steel Customers ____________________________________________ 4 Greens Port Mechanical Team Keeps Wind Energy Moving ___________________________________________ 4 Hawesville Marine Terminal TSIC Reps Visit County Fair________________________________________________ 6 Watco in the News __________________________________________________________)_________________________ 7 Texas Congressman Visits Watco’s Lubbock & Western Railway _______________)_____________________ 8 Watco Team Wins MTD’s Domestic Logistics Award ___________________________)_____________________ 9 Kanawha River Railroad Participates in Simulated Disaster _________________________________________ 10-11 Team Member Anniversaries _______________________________________________________________________ 12-13 Tobacco Cessation Program Reminder________________________________________________________________ 13 New Arrivals _______________________________________________________________________________________ 14-15
Highlights
On the Cover
A team member at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa Marine Terminal moves a steel coil
Check out new unisex hoodies available in several colors on Watco Gear. Order yours now at watcogear.com. 2 The Dispatch | September 2021
to storage on the dock before they are loaded onto trucks for outbound shipment. Photo by Jay Benedict.
Safety Anniversaries August 1 – Birmingham Terminal Railway (AL) – 1 year August 1 – Wright Peabody Switching (WY) – 3 years August 8 – Cherokee Switching (AL) – 5 years August 8 – Oklahoma City Transload Terminal (OK) – 2 years August 10 – Mission Mountain Railroad (MT) – 5 years August 10 – Willis Transload Terminal (MI) – 10 years August 24 – Ann Arbor Railroad (MI, OH) – 3 years August 26 – McIntosh Switching (AL) – 1 year August 29 – Port of Pine Bluff (AR) – 2 years August 30 – Savannah & Old Fort Railroad (GA) – 2 years August 31 – Fitzgerald Repair and Maintenance Shop (GA) – 1 year August 31 – Hawesville Marine Terminal (KY) – 2 years
September 2021 | The Dispatch 3
A Multi-Service Solution for Southeastern Steel Customers Listening to the customer is a trait Watco is
Steel customers are sending coils, plates, beams,
known for. So it’s no surprise that when steel
and other finished products – mostly by barge – to
customers in the southeastern U.S. mentioned
Watco terminals. Memphis Dock Street Marine
issues they were encountering, the Watco team
Terminal, Decatur River Port and Port Birmingham
was paying attention.
in Alabama, the Port of Vicksburg in Mississippi,
“They were telling us trucking capacity was tight,” said Len Cresenzo, a Watco Sales Director based in Memphis, Tennessee. “They were having trouble getting shipments out or in, and space at mills and processing facilities was becoming maxed out.” After hearing what the problems were, Watco was able to find the right solution. With its vast network of Transportation, Material Handling and Storage, and Logistics capabilities, Watco took a multi-service approach.
and the Tulsa Port of Catoosa Marine Terminal in Oklahoma are serving as warehousing and distribution centers. For their outbound shipments, about 50% of these customers are able to use either Watco’s rail lines or trucking that’s coordinated by Watco Logistics. Last month, Crescenzo had an opportunity to network with others connected to the steel industry at the Steel Market Update (SMU) Steel Summit conference in Atlanta, Georgia. He shared a new steel transloading brochure and had a straightforward message about
“We offered what we termed a hub-and-
Watco: “As customers face a demanding market,
spoke solution,” Crescenzo explained. “We’re
we’re positioned to provide the right locations
combining our barge, rail, and trucking
and services, giving them one less thing to be
capabilities with warehouse space.”
concerned about.”
4 The Dispatch | September 2021
Greens Port Mechanical Team Keeps Wind Energy Moving The wind energy market is growing at a rapid
The wind units are typically transported on
pace and the Watco team at Greens Port is seeing
flatcars that are equipped with special fixtures
a large number of turbines moving through the
used to secure the equipment to the railcar.
port. One essential piece to moving the massive
The Watco mechanical team has been seeing
units is ensuring the railcars are inspected and
an average of about 135 cars each week.
repaired prior to being loaded and delivered to one of the port’s Class I partners.
“We can have a short window once the cars arrive to get them inspected and repaired,” said
Watco’s Keith Johnson, Manager of Mechanical,
Johnson. “Depending on when the cars arrive,
directs the crew tasked with inspecting and
we can be working weekends and longer days
repairing every single wind energy railcar arriving
to ensure the cars are completed and staged
at the port. Wind turbine traffic has picked
at the docks and ready to be loaded.”
up at the port recently and the two-man crew of Alfredo Vazquez and Roger Howard have been dedicated solely to managing to the wind cars. Additional assistance from the mobile mechanical crew is pulled in when needed. “Keith and team do a great job coordinating with the Greens Port rail ops team on the arrivals of the wind energy trains to ensure they are inspected and repaired in a timely manner,” said Damian Cantrell, Watco’s Vice President of Rail and Liquids. “The inspection and repairs are a key component of the success Watco has in pushing
Watco’s Vice President of Houston Sales, Maureen Solomon, said the services provided by the mechanical team at the port are an important piece in keeping the wind energy business at the port.“ Having an experienced team on site who are able to provide inspections and repairs is a big part of the service package we can offer our wind energy partners. When they come to Greens Port, they know they have a one-stop solution for taking care of their supply chain needs.”
these trains through the facility in a safe and very efficient manner.” September 2021 | The Dispatch 5
Hawesville Marine Terminal TSIC Reps Visit County Fair
Hawesville Marine Terminal team members Amanda Thomas, Customer Service Representative; Charles Lee, Operator; Mike Hensley, Warehouse Supervisor; and Mitchell Christenson, Terminal Manager.
In Kentucky, members from the Hawesville Marine Terminal Team Safety and Improvement Committee (TSIC) set up a booth at the Hancock County Fair to make the community more aware of who they are and what services they provide. The team also did some recruiting at their booth and let visitors know they could apply for a position at Watco. One lucky visitor won a Watco gear gift basket the team had put together. “Participating at our local fair was an effort by our Team Safety and Improvement Committee and, as our first community outreach event, it was a huge success,” said Hawesville Customer Service Representative Amanda Thomas. “Many members in our community were unaware of our company’s vast capabilities, both locally and globally. We were able to get our name out there and hope to see some positive reflection of that as we continue hiring for our expanding team.” 6 The Dispatch | September 2021
Watco in the News Watco Partners in $124 Million Development Plan to Transform Ardmore Industrial Airpark into International, Multimodal Logistics Hub The newly developed Global Transportation & Industrial Park of Oklahoma (GTIP) includes more than 200 acres of shovel-ready and build-to-suit land that will deliver new opportunities for air, rail, and truck transport, as well as spaces for transloading, warehousing, distribution, and manufacturing. Read more Kansas Awards Funds to Two Watco Railroads Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz announced 10 projects, totaling more than $5.2 million, have been awarded as part of the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Short Line Rail Improvement Fund. Six projects were awarded to shippers and four projects were awarded to short line railroads in nine counties across Kansas. Watco’s Kansas & Oklahoma and South Kansas & Oklahoma railroads were two of the short lines receiving awards. Read more Watco’s Blue Ridge Southern Railroad Awarded Infrastructure Improvement Grant Twelve North Carolina short line railroads and the North Carolina Ports Authority will soon be making improvements to their rail infrastructure thanks to approximately $10.2 million in matching grant funds being awarded as part of the states’s. Department of Transportation’s Freight Rail and Rail Crossing Safety Improvement program (FRRCSI). Watco’s Blue Ridge Southern Railroad received $4,506,000 for four projects to upgrade track, railroad crossings, and bridges. Read more Watco Sells Unused North Carolina Rail Line to Create Public Trail Watco’s Blue Ridge Southern Railroad sold a 19.1-mile unused rail corridor in North Carolina to EcustaRails2Trail, LLC, a subsidiary of Conserving Carolina. The sale will allow for a trail linking downtown Brevard to Henderson. Read more
September 2021 | The Dispatch 7
Texas Congressman Visits Watco’s Lubbock & Western Railway While visiting his home district during the congressional recess, Rep. Jodey Arrington (TX-19) visited the Watco team and customers of the Lubbock & Western Railway. Rep. Arrington co-sponsored H.R. 510, the bill to make the 45G short line tax credit permanent, and sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees these tax credits. Given his position and the key role rail plays in his district, he wanted to get to know the Watco team, our customers Penny Newman, Dimmitt Sulfur, and Cooper Natural Resources, and learn more about our operations. So, Rep. Arrington stopped by the LBWR’s Wolfforth, Texas, rail yard for a tour and a ride in the Texas Tech Red Raider locomotive. The Congressman is a Texas Tech alum and continues to be a voice for freight rail and its importance to agriculture and rural America. Wreck ‘em, Tech!
8 The Dispatch | September 2021
Watco Team Wins MTD’s Domestic Logistics Award Congratulations to the Watco Logistics team on recently being named the 2021 MTD Products Domestic Logistics Sprig Award winner. MTD Products designs and manufactures outdoor power equipment, and brands include Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, Rover, Wolf Garten, and Robomow. The Watco team won the award for providing superior transportation solutions to the company. Last year Watco had only been moving one load every two to three months with MTD. Enter Jeff Wolf, a Freight Broker for the Logistics team. Wolf worked on building the relationship with the customer and approached the opportunity to gain more of their business with a no-fail mentality. Jeff Wolf Freight Broker, Watco Logistics
“I basically said that we would take the loads and move them, even if at times we lost money on it,” said Wolf. “In the long run we would gain more of the business and make up for any losses we may have.”
That mentality has led to more projects with MTD, getting more contract lanes, and doing more intermodal business. Part of the specialized customer service also means being available at all times of the day to assist with immediate shipments. “I got a call while on vacation at the lake house at midnight saying they needed a box moved that other carriers couldn’t get to the destination. We took the load and delivered it the next morning,” Wolf stated. Another big project the logistics team recently completed for MTD was coordinating straight trucks and sprinter vans to get items delivered to 75 home improvement stores in time for their Labor Day sales. “Watco routinely goes above and beyond our expectations through their communication, cost awareness, and brokerage solutions,” said Dan Ziegler, MTD’s Director of Global Logistics, during MTD’s award presentation ceremony. “I’d like to specifically recognize our account manager, Jeff Wolf. Jeff's dedication and relentless pursuit of supporting MTD has allowed him to quickly develop their business into a top-five-performing transportation provider in MTD’s carrier base. Jeff provides honest, transparent, and concise communication at all hours of the day and is quick to respond with updates on any critical shipments.”
September 2021 | The Dispatch 9
Kanawha River Railroad Participates in Simulated Disaster Watco’s Kanawha River Railroad (KNWA) team recently participated in a statewide exercise with the National Guard designed to simulate a large-scale disaster. The simulated disaster, called Vigilant Guard, was a stalled hurricane hovering over West Virginia, dropping massive amounts of water. The participants had to learn how to manage flash flooding, mudslides, and dam breaches that led to road closures, evacuations, and aerial and swift-water boat rescues of people and animals. Hazardous materials accident response was part of the scenario, including mock train derailments, tanker truck wrecks, gas line ruptures, explosions, and fires. The event brought together more than 1,000 military personnel, first responders, and private-sector partners who assisted with the simulated disaster.
10 The Dispatch | September 2021
The multi-day exercise began on August 24, when the Governor activated the National Guard. On August 28, the final exercise took place at the KNWA railyard in Belle, West Virginia. The exercise simulated a train-bus accident resulting in multiple injuries and a derailment. Local responders were called to the scene, but then a hazardous hydrochloric acid leak was discovered, resulting in the need to call in the National Guard for assistance. “The exercise went extremely well,” said John Thurman, KNWA General Manager. “It was a pleasure working with Kanawha County Emergency Management team, the Homeland Security Fusion Center, and the military.” “The Emergency Management Division recognizes the importance of participating in fullscale exercises with our partners,” said G.E. McCabe, Director of the West Virginia Emergency Management Division. “These exercises allow us to execute our response, gain skill with processes, and identify any gaps before a real emergency occurs.” Vigilant Guard is an annual event sponsored by United States Northern Command and the National Guard Bureau with support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Vigilant Guard is held in different FEMA regions. West Virginia is in FEMA Region III, which also includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Recent Vigilant Guard exercises have been held in Massachusetts, Georgia, Guam, and New Mexico. This is the first time West Virginia has been selected to host the exercise.
September 2021 | The Dispatch 11
Team Member Anniversaries Congratulations to the following team members celebrating September anniversaries:
1 Year: 1 Year: Christian Anthony,
Daniel Gunnoe, Scott Irvin,
Chastity Gonzales, Logan Gruver,
Johnathan Jarvis, Alex Jeanotte,
Mitchell Guenther, Joshua Harper,
Carlton Lawrence, Latoddrarick
Milton Hernandez, Jimmy Jolivet,
Lute, Michael Mazzone, Robert
Carissa Michener, Tyler Post,
McLaughlin, Craig Nettles, Austin
Austin Pursley, Richard Richards,
Norris, Justin Ogle, Susan Rao,
Leah Rinier, Daryle Rogers, Jon
David Richards, Dontrele Smith,
Singleton, Laura Smith, Nancy
Kelbey Smith, Sachel Taylor, Eric
Stockman, Robert Wagner,
Teeters, Thaddeus Thomas, Logan
Travis Wiley, Chase Williams,
Tittle, Marcus Wiser, Ray Wright
Justin Wittenauer
Henderson, Juan Hernandez
3 Years: Donovan Allen, Bruno
5 Years: Delmer Armentrout,
Arias, Kody Blair, Travis Blair,
Matthew Garrett, Travis Grose,
Pliego, Kevin Hickel, Jeanne
Kenneth Burns, Phillip Burrous,
Kourtney Hatch, Darin Price,
Housel, J Cruz Hurtado, Damien
Craig Daley, Christopher Dalton,
Brandon Salee, Nick Schwartz,
Johnson, Don Johnson, Tosha
Timothy Demery, Derrick
Aaron Snow, Trusty Whiddon
Jones, Jacob Kerr, Kerrie Larkin,
DeWitt, Richard Flowers, Clark
Brandon Lillard, Daniel Lopez
Fritton, Jose Gonzalez, Lensi
6 Years: Zachary Eaton, Matthew
Vela, Jose Marin, Larry Matthews,
Gutierrez, Jarell Harris, Brandon
Cary Mcfatter, Billy Mitchell, David
Heckler, Adam Hobbs, Corey
Mitchell, Jose Morales, Donovan
Hornig, Nicholas Hughes, Travis
O’Neill, Thomas O’Rourke, David
Hutchinson, Alexzander Kater,
Palmerin, Stephen Perrette,
Michael Kolec, Ryan Laverdure,
Amanda Prado, Esiquio Resendiz,
Michael May, Martin Mayes, John
Klayton Riggers, Aaron Roan,
McCrossen, Nicholas Mora, John
Juan Rodriguez, Randy Rolfe ll,
Moschella, Vincent Oliver, April
Shanton Sanders, Matthew Starr,
Potter, Orlando Reveron, Rafael
Ryan Tidaback, Michael Toledo,
Rosas, Mary Saenz, Richard
Courtney Troxtel, Jonathan
Serrano, Chad Settles, Benjamin
Vasquez, Brekerius Ward, Justin
Smith, Henry Smith, Brian Sparks,
Willingham, Trent Windfont,
Darrell Tolbert, Eric Vail, Quincy
Katelyn Wolfe, Amber Younger
Cordischi, Ta’Darius Dawson,
Wells, Turkson West, Brandy
2 Years: Jeremy Allen, Ricky
Travis Gage, William Haynes,
White, Loretha Williams, Brian
Matthew Hembree, Curt Johnson,
Womble, Bryan Woolard
Jeffrey Kebert, Elliot King, Kayla
4 Years: Matthew Allen, Andrew
Lepine, Luke Lohrmeyer, Darryl
Charles Ashley, Christopher Austin, Mitchell Becker, Brayden Boyd, Craig Burbach, Austin Burrus, Hector Cibrian, Demar Coleman, Russell Cotham, Brandon Cox, Alicea Dawes, Andrew Dowler, Mason Erwin, Cherelle Evans, Micah Flores, Eduardo Garcia, Monica Garcia, Gary Grice, Philip Grubisic, Ivory
Austin, Jorge Ballesteros, Jerry Bedell, Oscar Bolivar, Samuel Brandt, Joshua Brown, Randolph
Auriemma, Ramon Betancourt,
Burington, Andrew Carmack,
Joshua Bowling, Josh Broshears,
Logan Cassity, Joseph Clement,
Sayre Collie, Marquita Connor,
Sean Daley, Myron Dortch, John
Michael Del Vecchio, Christopher
Edwards Jr, Vernon Franklin,
Escamilla, Cameron Ginther,
12 The Dispatch | September 2021
Haviland, Clinton Johnson, Zachary Kachmar, Drury Kane, Chad Klopfenstine, Jeremy Knight, Jeremy Lemarr, J. Homero Medina, Daniel Mendoza, John Moriconi, Justin Morrison, Danny Queen, Jonathan Roquet, Robert Ross, Travis Schnelle, Michael Schoenherr, Jerry Theriault, Juan Vasquez, Marcus Zambrano, Kelly Zulfer
7 Years: 7 Years: Andrew
Lovett, Victor Nava, Brandon Parham, Reginald Paschal, Jose Rojas, Timothy Rupik, Christopher Salary, Hugo Sanchez, Nicholas Sanders, Ashton Speckman, Adam Underwood, Michael Williams
Team Member Anniversaries 8 Years: 8 Years: Ignacio
12 Years: Lewis Barlow, Curtis
20 Years: Charles King,
Alatorre, Jacob Cahill, David
Joyce, Michael Reeves, Chadd
William Patterson
Callan, Jesus Carmona, Jennifer
Thimesch, Cody Winkleman
Crossno, Michael DeHoyos,
13 Years: Daniel Archer, Robin
22 Years: Kara Bowman 23 Years: Donald Browder,
Jace Fisher, Joy Lavoie, Arden Martinie, Christopher Porter, Michael Urness
9 Years: Christopher Burns, Charles Foster, Laramie Gahman, Daniel Gorseth, Christopher Hughes, Don Latimer, Leonidas Mejia Escobar, James Mobley, Daniel Rodriguez, Floyd Schrock,
Combs, Michael Hankins, Kevin Kennison, Joseph Lunsford, Dennis McCord, Michael Stitzel, Lori Vaden
14 Years: Dale Cross, Sergio
Jesus Victoria, Michael Moore
Moss, Jamie Wilson
27 Years: James Smith 28 Years: Danny Sepulvado 30 Years: David Tarwater 31 Years: Pete Wilczewski 34 Years: Eric Davis 40 Years: Randy Alcorn 41 Years: Fred Porter 42 Years: Robbie Meshell 43 Years: Rickey Moore
15 Years: James Hagans, Nancy
10 Years: 10 Years: Mark
16 Years: Aubrey Berguin, Christopher Boatman, Jonas
Ernie Farrand, Justin Hoggle,
Colley, Matthew Davis, Annetra
Linda Jordan, Adam Weddle
Garcia, Matthew Hare, Mark
11 Years: Benjamin Beers, Laurie
Harrington, Kari Stephens,
Gorman, Cedric Graham, David Mathews, David Miller, Andrew
25 Years: Larry Smith,
Delgado, Timothy Dykes, Donald
Huser, Bill Miller, Wesley Murray
Caler, Damien Cantrell, Stacey
24 Years: Jackie Brady, Richard Gruber
Clint Woods
Cendejas, Justin DeWitt,
Eric Davison
Reynaldo Vargas, Thomas Williams, Steve Yates, Carol Young
17 Years: Brandon Craddock,
Moots, JaCorey Murray, Bradley
Stacy Grant, Joseph Nazimek,
Shows, Benjamin Tarran, Peter
Julio Parada
Tietjen, Sam Wolfe
19 Years: Arnulfo Rangel, Eric
Wayne, Michael Wilson
Tobacco Users: Friendly reminder to enroll in the tobacco-cessation program through Quit for Life to avoid paying increased insurance premiums for 2022. This free program helps people live tobacco-free and includes: • One-on-one phone coaching
• Member website
• Tailored quitting plan to suit your needs
• Quit guide
• Nicotine patches or gum Contact Quit for Life at (866)-QUIT-4-LIFE {866-784-8454} to enroll and complete the 5 required calls by 12/31/21. September 2021 | The Dispatch 13
New Arrivals Alejandro Angelino De Leon Armando De Leon Jr. and Natalie De Leon announce the birth of their son, Alejandro Angelino De Leon, born June 2, 2021. Alejandro weighed 5 pounds, 15 ounces, and was 17 1/2 inches long. Alejandro was welcomed home by big brothers Armando De Leon III and Raymond Herrera.
Alexandria Joyce Grogan Drew and Kristi Grogan announce the birth of their daughter, Alexandria Joyce Grogan, born May 23, 2021. Alexandria weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces, and was 20 inches long. Alexandria was welcomed home by her sister, Amelia, 2.
To submit your new arrival send a photo and information to marketing@watco.com 14 The Dispatch | September 2021
New Arrivals Laken Hunter Womble Brian Womble and Alexis Westcott announce the birth of their son, Laken Hunter Womble, born August 18, 2021. Hunter weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces, and was 21 inches long. Brian is a Conductor/Engineer for the Vicksburg Southern Railroad from Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Mutiara Cinta Yuwono Vincent Yuwono and Bunda Putri announce the birth of their daughter, Mutiara Cinta Yuwono, born on June 22, 2021. Mutiara weighed 3.14 kg (6.9 pounds) and 50 cm (19.7 inches) long. Mutiara was welcomed home by her big sister, Melody, 12.
To submit your new arrival send a photo and information to marketing@watco.com September 2021 | The Dispatch 15
