A Multi-Service Solution for Southeastern Steel Customers

Listening to the customer is a trait Watco is known for. So it’s no surprise that when steel customers in the southeastern U.S. mentioned issues they were encountering, the Watco team was paying attention.

“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.

“We offered what we termed a hub-andspoke solution,” Crescenzo explained. “We’re combining our barge, rail, and trucking capabilities with warehouse space.”

Steel customers are sending coils, plates, beams, and other finished products – mostly by barge – to Watco terminals. Memphis Dock Street Marine Terminal, Decatur River Port and Port Birmingham in Alabama, the Port of Vicksburg in Mississippi, 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 Watco: “As customers face a demanding market, we’re positioned to provide the right locations and services, giving them one less thing to be concerned about.”