The newsletter for Companies February 2017, Volume 18, Issue 2 Growing business in the SKOL wins Business of the Year Award Great Northwest The South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad (SKOL) was recently awarded the Cherryvale The team on The facility is that it will allow CHS Primeland to Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year (GRNW) recently completed work on helping one purchase and store fertilizer outside of the normal Award at their annual banquet. Shirley Ann of its valued and long-term Customers further spring and fall fertilizer seasons. CHS Primeland Hogben, Chamber Board Member, thanked grow their business in eastern Washington and will move both dry and liquid fertilizers, includ- the SKOL and Watco for their participation in northcentral . ing urea, phosphates, potash, the community and mentioned how the town On January 3, a GRNW train thyosol, and liquid phosphates. loves to see the Cherryvale Charger locomotive crew placed the first dozen cars Moreover, they will have the pulling trains through the area. at the new CHS Primeland fer- ability to blend and produce Attendees also thanked Watco Founder Dick tilizer storage and production products at the plant. Webb and the Heart of the Heartlands group facility at the Port of Wilma, “It’s important for the for restoring the depot in Cherryvale and Washington. The project’s growth of our company,” keeping the town from losing that meaningful completion is the culmination of several years Mingo said, adding that CHS Primeland will piece of history. of work for CHS Primeland and GRNW Team move several hundred carloads annually on the "Watco has always understood the impor- Members, which included extensive site selection GRNW to the facility. tance of being good neighbors and partners and track work, with the GRNW Operating and “The GRNW has just been awesome,” he added. with the communities we travel through and Track Teams providing assistance and expertise “The team there has been great to work with and work in. Cherryvale is no exception. The city throughout the project. we have really appreciated the help that you have has been a great place for the SKOL to call “Rail is extremely important to this facility,” provided throughout this process.” home. The community involvement has been Ken Mingo, manager of the Port of Wilma facility, Stacy Grant, general manager of the GRNW, outstanding," said Jimmy Patterson, general said. “It gives us options to bring in product from said he and his team are thankful for the faith manager for the SKOL. all parts of the country. It is just critical to our CHS Primeland has placed in the railroad and his "We are looking forward to continuing to business.” team. foster an already great relationship with the Mingo noted that CHS Primeland has moved “The GRNW Team greatly appreciates the trust businesses, government, and people of Cher- fertilizer onto the GRNW in the past, but the new that CHS Primeland has placed in our railroad,” ryvale and the surrounding areas." Port of Wilma facility, called the CHS Primeland he said. “The new Wilma facility represents a Port of Wilma Agronomy Plant, increases the significant investment in infrastructure for CHS company’s capacity seven fold. In addition to Primeland on our railroad. We will work hard fertilizer, CHS Primeland also moves barley from each and every day to continue to keep that trust. the GRNW. The entire GRNW Team is eager to grow and “We have 10 retail agronomy locations that the maintain our partnership with this valued long- facility will serve,” he added. term Customer.” Mingo said the primary benefit of the new - Ted Kadau Vice President Commercial

Awards given out at the Annual Cherryvale Chamber of Commerce Banquet were Volun- teer of the Year, Charlie Blanchard; Outstanding Service, Janet Plumley; and Business of the Year, GRNW Crew Members Chris Haddow, Mike Hubbs, and Clay Morgan work to spot the first 12 carloads of with Jimmy Patterson, general manager, accept- fertilizer at the new CHS Primeland Port of Wilma Agronomy Plant. Completion of the project represents ing the award for the South Kansas and Okla- the culmination of several years of hard work for CHS Primeland and GRNW Team Members. homa Railroad Team. #WatcoMoves STAT center graduates five Editor’s note: We’re kicking off a new feature in The Watco reached a milestone in Alabama pen. Dispatch and on our social media accounts (Face- last month as the first class completed “This is a big step for Watco that will book, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn). #Watco- ground school training for conductors at directly impact recruitment, training, and Moves will feature a product that Watco transports the Watco Safety Through Awareness and performance,” Smith said. on its destination to the end user. Training(STAT) Center in Birmingham. Instructors at the new Birmingham center The class included Coy Haralson, Jon-Max include Jeff Holden, a Watco instructor for Herman, and Kevin Lee from the Baton four years, Brad Hayes, who has held several Rouge Southern, James Rutherford from roles in the rail industry, Todd Hamilton, Cicero Central in Chicago, and Chance Che- who has extensive knowledge of distributive noweth from the South Kansas and Okla- power, and Mike Smith, director of engi- homa Railroad in Kansas. neering training, and Mike Milligan, a track “All five did well, each had their own chal- trainer with Watco since 2012. lenges and strengths, but all finished with In addition to those instructors, Herod’s high marks,” said Travis Herod, senior vice team includes 40 people, from Philadelphia to president of safety and training. Florida, who work daily to ensure safety. Previously done in the field, trainings used “When I began in 2005, we had seven to be limited to “whatever we had on hand,” people,” he said. “We’ve grown so much. Now Herod said. we have 36 railroads, more than 30 switching Product: Malt “We’d send instructors to geographic loca- locations, plus all the terminals and ports.” tions wherever it was needed the most, and That team handles audits and includes envi- Used for: Sierra Nevada Beer they’d set up in hotel conference rooms or ronmentalists who deal with air permits, wa- Location: Blue Ridge Southern - BLU depot offices — wherever they could find a ter permits, and discharge. Instructors handle place, and that wasn’t optimum for anyone,” manager training, recertification training, If you’re gathering with friends and family watch- Herod said. OSHA/FRA compliance training, and track ing the Super Bowl and enjoying a cold Sierra The new center means training in a stan- inspection training in 35 to 40 class offerings. Nevada beer, thank the Team on the BLU! The Blue dardized way, so it’s the same for everyone “We’re not just a rail company,” Herod said. Ridge Southern Railroad, Watco’s first property in and is consistent with the same curriculum, “We’ve got terminals and ports dealing with North Carolina, was started in 2014. It hauls the instructors, and equipment. hazardous materials, tug boats, boat pilots malt that’s used to craft Sierra Nevada Beer, from Railroads fly team members to Birming- and deck hands, people who operate heavy Asheville to Fletcher, N.C., after it’s imported to the ham, where they are picked up at the airport machinery, and everybody has to have some and shuttled between their hotels and the kind of training. Through it all, safety comes U.S. from Western Canada. training center. first.” At Fletcher, it’s transloaded by Sierra Nevada to Noon meals are provided, and extended- - Andra Bryan Stefanoni, Contributing Writer truck to their brewery a few miles away. stay hotel rooms include full kitchens — a BLU Commercial Manager Brigid Rich makes home away from home, Herod explained, so sure the cars remain moving and the Customer gets “there’s nothing to worry about except focus- what they need throughout the process. Last fall, ing on what they’re trying to learn.” during the busy season, the brewery ran out of malt. “They are away from the usual distractions “They were the first Customer we served that of home, and it’s completely hands on, so they night to make sure they didn’t run out,” Rich said. are immersed in what they’re learning,” he “We want to make sure our Customers never go into said. “All they have to worry about is get to shut-down mode; if we can do anything to prevent class on time, learn, go back to the hotel, and that, we will.” study their workbooks in the evenings to help Rich was proud to see Watco’s efforts pay off -re prepare for the next day’s class.” cently when she picked up an issue of “Food & Wine Now, the first class of five are headed back Magazine.” In it, brewers and food critics chose the to their railroads to begin the on-the-job 25 most important craft beers ever brewed. In the training process, Herod said. They’ll be in the field, assigned to a peer trainer for two to No. 1 spot: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. three months, and then be certified to become conductors. Six more are headed to Birming- About the BLU The first five Watco Team Members to gradu- ham for a class in February, and a ribbon ate from the STAT Center are (l-r) Chance Che- Named for the Blue Ridge Mountains that over- cutting is slated for April. noweth (SKOL), Coy Haralson (BRS), Jon Max look the scenic railroad, the BLU operates 92 miles Watco Chief Operating Officer Dan Smith Herman (BRS), James Rutherford (CERR), and of track consisting of three branch lines that feed praised Herod and the team that made it hap- Kevin Lee (BRS). into Norfolk Southern’s terminal in Asheville, N.C. The BLU ships other commodities, too: wood chips, Norfolk Southern's "Honoring First Respond- paper products, plastics, concrete, coal, aggregate, ers" EMD SD60E No. 911 passes local first and products used to make Epsom salt. responder vehicles in West Virginia belonging —— to Putnam County EMS, Nitro Police Depart- To learn more about what #WatcoMoves, follow ment and the Nitro Fire Department. The "First us at Facebook/WatcoCompanies, on Twitter at @ Responders" locomotive was leading Watco's WatcoRail, Instagram @WatcoRail, and on Linke- (KNWA) coal train. dIn. KNWA Engineer Adam Grimm and Conduc- Have a suggestion for a product to be featured in tor Keith Hoosier were given advance notice and #WatcoMoves? Email astefanoni@watcocompanies. stopped the train to make the photo possible. com Thanks to photographer Chase Gunnoe for set- ting up the shoot!

2 • The Dispatch • February 2017 Racking system eases A gift from home a potato's journey

A new technology is being used for the first time on railroads, to the benefit of Watco Customers and consumers: a refrigerated rail car with automated load-in using a racking system. Before it was introduced, potatoes had a sometimes rough journey from field to user. After being harvested and bagged in Idaho, they were loaded by forklift into rail cars. Those forklifts weren’t easy on the cars, nor on the pota- toes. Bag after bag was piled on for the trip east, and by the time they arrived, the bottom level was crushed. Borrowing a page from the FedEx and UPS playbook, both of which load their planes with an automated roller system with racks, Watco applied a simi- lar technique to rail boxcars. The car can accommodate 20 racks, each with four pallets, for a total of 80 Treats such as Maggie's Popcorn, Signet coffee's, and jams and jellies pallets per boxcar, which helps shippers alleviate their recurring truck driver were part of a Pittsburg gift basket sent out by the Pittsburg ISS Team to shortage. They also eliminate the need for dunnage in a traditional boxcar, their Class 1 counterparts during the holiday season. which can cost around $700 per car to secure the load and Typically when Christmas uted magnets and small leather $700 per car to remove to rolled around, Watco’s Interline notepads marked with the iconic unload. Settlement System Team Mem- split-faced gorilla mascot. Our first load: Potatoes bers would pool their money, buy Watco added some freebies of from Sun Valley in Burley, cookies, and send them to their its own, like train whistles and Idaho, with an interchange counterparts at Class 1’s. photo calendars for 2017. Watco in Chicago, to Bethlehem, “We love to keep good relation- also added flyers from the Pitts- Pennsylvania. For the final ships,” explained Tara Carpenter, burg Area Chamber of Commerce leg of the journey, they were assistant manager of revenue. and an explanation of the prod- trucked to New Jersey. Sun This year, Senior Interline Ac- ucts they were sending. immediately reordered a sec- countant Jeff Linville (Wisconsin And, a tongue-in-cheek apol- ond shipment for Sun Valley & Southern Railroad) suggested ogy that they couldn’t send what for the same route. something new: Having Watco the area really is known for: fried “It was flawless,” said Owen purchase locally made items from chicken. The last rack is being loaded into the tempera- Zidar, Watco’s senior vice Pittsburg, Kansas, where the “It was fun,” Carpenter said. ture controlled reefer car at the Project Perish- president for Strategy and De- company originated and is still “We got a really good reaction able warehouse in Burley, Idaho. The automat- velopment based out of Over- headquartered today. from everybody.” ed rack allows for more potatoes to be shipped land Park, Kansas. “There “We wanted to put more All told, they prepared 17. Best more efficiently and arrive undamaged. was no damage; everyone was thought into it and make it spe- of all, the homespun effort was h appy.” cial,” Carpenter said. cheaper than a commercial, pre- “We physically loaded the And the idea was born for “A pared gift basket. product into the racks, and Taste of Pittsburg” holiday gift “Even with shipping, they were then it was loaded onto a baskets. less than $30 each,” Carpenter table that automatically went To fill them, Watco reached out said. “We felt it was a good invest- into the car,” Zidar said. to Signet Coffee Roasters, a mom- ment for relations.” A bonus: The refrigerated and-pop business that roasts cof- “And once Watco Car Hire cars are temperature-con- fee beans from around the world heard, they wanted to do it, too, trolled not just to keep per- for a unique blend of flavors, to for their counterparts, for the ishables cold when needed, prepare small custom bags. same reason.” but also to warm them; in “We picked the flavors — Linville said it was neat to get Idaho, where temperatures Holiday Blend and Gorilla Roast, responses from recipients, “as sometimes are below zero and named for our university mascot these are people we work with there is significant snowfall — and they grinded them and all across North America, from in winter months, the car had packaged them for us,” Carpenter Canada to Florida.” Blizzard conditions and the first load-in car ar- to be heated to keep it at 42 said. He hopes it’s something the rived at the same time in Idaho, presenting an degrees. Signet added their contact in- team can continue next year. additional challenge in getting the car to its On the return journey from formation to the bags so recipi- Jo DeToro, CSX Railroad super- destination on time. the East Coast, the car will be ents could order more online if visor, described the gesture as “a regulated at 38 degrees with a they enjoyed it, and offered Watco lovely idea and so thoughtful.” load of butter. a bulk discount. “Our entire ISS team really Zidar says there is huge demand for such a car, with Customers already Watco also reached out to Root enjoyed going through the vari- interested. Coffeehouse, a start-up venture ous items and sharing among our With one of the rising sectors in transportation being perishables, Zidar said by the Kling family, to order their team,” deToro said. “Although a that there is tremendous potential for Watco using such technology. locally crafted jams and jellies. couple of us think that if we can “We used to get killed by trucks, because we took too long and damaged They, like Signet, offered a bulk overnight it, that we should be products,” he said. “This eliminates that.” discount. able to try some of your great lo- Expansion likely will be targeted in Texas, the Northeast, and the Southeast They purchased popcorn from cal fried chicken!” — the fastest growing populations. Maggie’s Nutty Bavarian, and - Andra Bryan Stefanoni - Andra Bryan Stefanoni, Contributing Writer Pittsburg State University contrib- Contributing Writer

The Dispatch • February 2017• 3 Students "just imagine" working for Watco An annual event started by a fourth grade teacher years ago allows elementary students to “work” for Watco Companies for a day each Janu- ary. The event, called “Just Imagine Kansas,” in- cludes companies with roots in Kansas. They’re each set up as booths in a mock town in the school’s multipurpose room, complete with a mail carrier, police officer, and governor. For weeks in advance, students research the companies and the products or services each company offers, plan a budget, create signs, pack- age up items to sell, fill out work schedules, print business cards, and learn to make change. “We want to highlight things that have really Tristan Fiechtl, 3, of Pittsburg, uses pretend money Caedance Shepherd and McKenzie Terry, fourth played a role in Kansas,” explained teacher Babs to buy a Watco locomotive at the Watco Compa- graders in Pittsburg, Kansas, take their turn work- Tims said. “Education, aircraft, farming, photog- nies booth during Just Imagine Kansas. Tristan was ing at the Watco Companies booth at Just Imagine raphy, the railroad — so many very successful there with his grandma, Lois Lawrence, who does Kansas. businesses started right here in our town have maintenance at Kansas City Southern in Pittsburg. been key players in those areas.” That includes Watco Companies, founded by Shepherd enjoyed the chance to run the Watco Dick Webb and now operated by his son, Rick. Tristan Fiechtl, 3, stopped by with his mom, business for a few hours, she said. Caedance Shepherd was one of several stu- Tabatha, and grandmother, Lois Lawrence, who “I like selling things and serving Customers,” dents who took turns “working for Watco” in the has worked in maintenance for the Kansas City she said as she made change for Fiechtl and wrote mock town, selling wooden train whistles and toy Southern in Pittsburg for 15 years. He wanted to him out a sales ticket. locomotives to visitors who were given pretend buy a tiny engine to take home because he loves Sounds like she’s already got the right idea. money to spend. trains. - Andra Bryan Stefanoni, Contributing Writer

WSOR Team Member wins photography contest Western Australia Team ramps This year, a photography contest was held by the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad up service Down Under (WSOR) for contributors to their 2017 Calendar. First prize was $500, which went to WSOR Engineer Adam Weddle. Watco's Western Australia Team began providing service Adam spends a good deal of his free time photographing in November of 2016 to Brookfield Rail, a rail infrastructure the trains and landscape in the area. His winning photograph owner and access provider in Western Australia. The WA was of a WSOR train and a sunset in Boscobel, Wisconsin. Team provides services delivering track, ties, and ballast via “The sky was nice,” stated Weddle. “It was probably the best rail. p ar t .” According to Ken Potts, WA vice president of projects fi- Weddle took the photograph in November of 2014 when nance and administration, the project has been moving along trying out his new Nikon D3200. well and is for the various type of rail gages; wide, standard “It was one of the first pictures I took with that camera,” and narrow. Watco WA invested in three locomotives and said Weddle. “That was a good way to break it in.” several wagons (railcars) to transport materials. The crews When asked about Weddle, Joe Via, WSOR general man- working the Brookfield task are ones from Watco's original ager, stated, “Adam is a dedicated member who fits in very CBH grain crews to move the Brookfield trains. well with the WSOR. We appreciate Adam’s commitment to "It's an advantage that we can use already trained crews and safety and his dedication.” utilize our best resource efficiently," said Potts. Weddle submitted The team is also gearing up for rail movements in conjunc- several photos to the tion with the IMG acquisition (see page 5). contest, but he didn’t think his winning pho- WSOR Engineer tograph would make the Adam Weddle with the check he received cut, much less win the for his grand prize contest. photo (right) of a “I was surprised, but WSOR locomotive in I’m not complaining,” he Boscobel, Wisconsin, said. “I feel pretty grati- at sunset. fied. I didn’t set out to win it, but I’m glad some- body thought the photo was worthy of winning the contest.” Weddle said people often ask him why he chooses to photograph trains in his spare time, given that he spends his entire work day on them, “It’s a totally different thing to see Watco's Western Australia train rolls across the outback near the train as a job, with all the focus and responsibility. I enjoy going out in my spare time the small town of Menzies (pop. 56). The train carries rail mate- and taking photos. You can sit back and enjoy it more.” rials to keep the tracks in good repair. Operating this train are - Michaela Kinyon, Contributing Writer Team Members Keith Humble and JP VanVuuren.

4 • The Dispatch • February 2017 McIntosh Team celebrates safety anniversary The McIntosh Team in Alabama recently continuing to complete any additional work celebrated their two year injury-free anniversary requested by the Customer. along with the two-year anniversary of their The future looks good for the facility which start-up. The team plans on celebrating with a has planned track expansion work in 2017. The catered lunch from Brick Pitt BBQ in Mobile, McIntosh Team is excited about new opportuni- Alabama. In addition, the team received jack- ties this will bring and looks forward to growing ets, safety shirts, polos, and backpacks with the along with their Customers for many years to team’s logo on them for their recent accomplish- come. ments. Customers also received polos as a thank The entire team is responsible for the safety you from the team for allowing them to provide achievement. Each member’s equal involvement safe and reliable service. is what has allowed the team to be a success. The The McIntosh location is a Chlor-Alklaine team looks out for each other and the company’s facility that moves chlorine, caustic, acid, salt, best interestes, rather than looking out for and bleach cars on a daily basis. When the themselves as individuals. They use the founda- facility first started it just moved a relatively Team members at the McIntosh, Alabama, loca- tion principles of the company to guide them small amount of cars, but have since expanded tion who have switched cars safely since they through each and every day. began service are: Mike Brooks, Troy Corsentino, to handle all car movements within the facility. Location manager, Troy Corsentino, believes Ken Brown, Carlie Dixon, Ben Bouler, Nick Mur- The team handles very hazardous and danger- phy, Luther Boothe, Ken Pope, Santonio Goins, the quote that describes the McIntosh’s philoso- ous commodities on a daily basis and safety has and Nick Wayman. Not pictured: Jeremy Kyles, phy best, “The best gift you can give your family always been always been an important goal, for Jeremy Bouler, and Jarus Powell. every day is yourself. Stay safe and focused on both the team and the Customer. every task you perform, no matter how big or An average day at the plant consists of a will also spot empties within the plant and small.” day and night crew providing round the clock builds the consist requested by the Customer Some long term team members include: Nick services to the Customer. The day crew builds and the night crew in turn, will switch out an Murphy, Ken Brown, Luther Boothe, Michael an outbound that averages sixty-five cars daily, inbound that averages 80 cars daily brought in Brooks, and Jeremy Kyles. which are then picked up by the NS. The crew by the NS, spot empties within the plant, while - Molly Henneke, Contributing Writer Watco becomes majority shareholder in Western Australia intermodal company

Watco Companies is growing its business in directors and one director from IMG. that fit our strategy,” Thompson said. “We have Western Australia after becoming the majority WWAR Chief Operating Officer Grant long-term views on how we want to grow in shareholder in Intermodal Group, or IMG. In Thompson, who will serve as chairperson of the Australia, and this acquisition fits with our busi- the process, it’s helping alleviate traffic conges- board, said the partnership was strategic in that ness expansion plans. It adds to our current rail tion and reduce truck mileage and maintenance. it combines both IMG and Watco’s logistics and footprint in Australia.” The acquisition of Intermodal Group on Dec. “The services that IMG offers will help us 21 comes five years after Watco entered the Aus- meet those requirements for growing Customer tralian region by winning the contract for CBH relationships and provide a base for the growth Group’s rail haulage. in Australia.” IMG is an integrated provider of services, in- Currently, Watco is reviewing opportunities cluding rail, integrated logistics of containerized to boost the growth of IMG, which operates freight, storage, and handling of containers. the North Quay rail terminal at Fremantle and Watco CEO Rick Webb said the new relation- a container park at Forrestfield, Perth Western ship with IMG is an exciting move that follows Australia. Watco’s foundation principles. According to Fremantle Port Authority, the “Our goal is to improve our business by pro- North Quay rail terminal handled 14.5 percent viding quality service and value to our Custom- of all container movements through the port in ers,” Webb said. the Australian financial year 2015-16. IMG oper- At the same time, noted Watco Vice President ates two container trains daily between North of Projects Finance and Administration Ken Quay and Forrestfield. Potts, the company is reducing negative environ- Thompson said former owner Jim Stevenson mental impacts in Australia. will continue as a minority shareholder. “The government has targeted removing 30 “We look forward to working closely with Jim percent of road traffic that is container traffic,” as we have done with CBH Limited, in growing Potts said. “By putting containers on rail, we’re the business for the benefit of our Customer base getting that done.” and the State of Western Australia,” Thompson Australia is among the most urbanized nations IMG loads intermodal containers onto railcars, in said. “Watco appreciates that CBH first gave turn, reducing negative environmental impacts in on earth, with one of the highest rates of popula- Watco the opportunity to establish a logistics Australia. tion growth in the developed world. Projections company in Australia.” show 4 million additional people could settle in supply chain knowledge, which can be built on Stevenson said the acquisition was good for capital cities Down Under by 2035. to provide Customers with the right service, at Customers, team members and other stakehold- “Simply put, the containers that go on rail the right time, in the right condition and at the ers because IMG’s goals were aligned to Watco’s reduce the number of trucks on the road,” Potts right price. Customer focus and innovative solutions. said. “That’s a positive.” The acquisition aligns with plans for the fu- “I am excited to be a part of a strong partner- IMG will continue to operate independently, ture, which include growth. ship with Watco,” he said. governed by a board comprised of two Watco “We will certainly be looking at opportunities - Andra Bryan Stefanoni, Contributing Writer

The Dispatch • February 2017• 5 Blytheville manager sends All Aboard Foundation two to play college ball provides scholarships It’s no secret that Watco loves its baseball. There’s Pittsburg’s “Watco Raildogs” Little League competitive traveling The All Aboard Foundation is awarded per year. team, which each season strives to bring home the trophies. pleased to announce its Scholar- Applications will be available And there’s Watco Refugio maintenance team member and electrician ship Program is open for ap- at http://allaboardfoundation. John Solis, a lifelong baseball coach in Rockport, Texas, who last summer plications. The scholarship will com/scholarships/. Please submit was chosen above hundreds in the nation as a Little League World Series Umpire. be available to your application And there’s Dan Smith, a former National dependents of to info@allaboard- Baseball League pitcher with the Texas Rang- Watco Companies foundation.com ers, Montreal Expos, and Boston Red Sox, who team members. on or before April now serves as Watco chief operating officer. The recipient 30th. So Sonny Sweatman, a new terminal manag- must be in good A committee er who just signed on in Blytheville, Arkansas, academic standing will review all ap- figures he took a job with the right company. and plan to attend plications and the Sweatman’s two sons recently were featured a post-secondary winner(s) will be Brett Sweatman in the Osceola, Jonesboro, and Blytheville institution within notified and an- newspapers for signing to play baseball to- one year following high school nounced in the June issue of The gether at Central Baptist College in Conway, graduation. Dispatch. Arkansas. Scholarships will be awarded in Last year there were five ap- The younger of the two, Brett Sweatman, is the amount of $500 each and will plicants who were selected as a high school senior, a good all-around player be issued in two $250 disburse- recipients of the $500 scholarship. who bats above average. His older son, Joey ments for the first two semesters The recipients were Matthew Boh- Wayne Johnson, is 24, a pitcher who can throw of college and will be credited land, Mackenzie Boatman, Drew a ball across the plate in the lower 90s with to the recipients account at the Davied, Devin Lamkin, and Jason “insane ball movement,” Sweatman said. financial aid office of the college Schroeder. “I have pushed my boys to be above average of their choosing. The number The All Aboard Foundation was their whole lives” he said. “Some may think of scholarships awarded will be established to provide funding for that is extreme. I would disagree until the end. determined by the number of ap- a better quality of life in the com- Average doesn't get you noticed.” plicants with a minimum of two munities in which Watco serves. Joey Wayne Johnson And Sweatman would apply this to the team at Watco, as well. “Although I am new to Watco, I would say our goal is to not be average,” Sweatman said. “What sets us apart from the rest of our industry has to be a hunger to perform better than the average. Strive to perform and improve upon yesterday’ performance.” WHY WATCO? “We can't sit around and wait for other companies to make mistakes so Editor’s note: Starting this month in The Dispatch, we’ll be featur- we can get opportunities to take on new business in our industry. World ing the #WhyWatco stories we’ve been sharing in video via Face- class performance each and every day sets us apart.” book, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkdIn. Sweatman likens his job to his coaching with this analogy: “I could have told my older son to get a grounder or fly out but I didn't. Team Member: Brien Runyon I told him to throw the funky cheese and send them back to the dugout. I Title: Conductor could have told my younger son to get me a base hit when he was growing up but I didn't. I told him to hit it out of the park every time he came to the Location: Kanawha River Railroad plate.” - Andra Bryan Stefanoni, Contributing Writer “I like Watco because it’s a laid-back atmosphere, the boss talks to you one on one, and you’re more of a person here instead of just a number.” The Kanawha River Railroad (KNWA) consists of 309 miles of track running south from Refugee, Ohio, to Maben, West Virginia. The railroad’s Brien Runyon name is derived from the Kanawha River in West Virginia which the railroad follows south through the state. The KNWA ships ap- proximately 20,000 carloads of product annually for the energy, aggregate, agriculture, and chemical industries. Brien has worked for Watco since July 11, 2016, when it began operations on the KNWA. 5 YEARS INJURY-FREE Thanks, Brien, for sharing your #WhyWatco story! Congratulations to the Swan Ranch Railroad Team for going five years To hear more #WhyWatco stories, follow us at Facebook/Wat- (since start-up) injury-free! Team members who helped reach this mile- coCompanies, on Twitter at @WatcoRail, Instagram at WatcoR- stone are (l-r) Miles Quisenberry, Dakota Merritt, Cody Jensen, Joseph ail, and on LinkedIn. Bomgaars, Deron Deter, Thomas Held, and Leo Correa.

6 • The Dispatch • February 2017 Births

Noah Gordon Trappe Gary and Lisa Cooley are proud to announce the birth of their grandson Noah Gordon Trappe. Noah was born November 10, 2016, and weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and was 19 inches long. Grandpa Gary is a section foreman for the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad in Janesville, Wisconsin. Anniversaries February

Congratulations to the following team members celebrating anniversaries this month. 5 Years: David Abbey, Valerie Altenhofen, Michael Brinkerhoff, Daniel Brunk, Kyle 1 Year: Christopher Bollin, Phillip Bor- Curry, Erin Flocchini, Paul Gage, Antonio resen, Adam Breeck, Tyler Burke, Kevin Green, Martin Mandujano, Jacinto Mendez, Byrd, Charlie Carr, William Clements, Matthew Morrison, Sabrina Mounts, Drew James Cooks, Benjamin Cox, John Cuevas, Otto, Chad Shaffer, Timothy Sharitt, Matt Daniel Czar, Jarmain Drake, Jessie Esca- Spade, Tyler Stapleton, Jeffery Summers, milla, Andrew Floyd, Se'Cortney Gardner, April Summit, Chris Wright Michael Gomez, Anthony Gonfiantini, 6 Years: Dennis Cain, Keith Cameron, Noah Gordon Trappe Mark Gyenes, Gary Hackemack, Gary Kevin Dean, Josh Gwillim, Sean Jamerson, Christopher Miller, Derek Mooy, Scott Merritt "Rhett" Avery Smiley Huff, Jason Huffman, Mario Jimenez, Dan- iel Lemon, Perry Lunsford, Andre Majors, Reeves, Michael Schaffer, Joe Del Smith, Josh and Danielle Smiley are proud to announce the William Watts, Willis Whitaker birth of their daughter, Merritt “Rhett” Avery Smiley, Shane Morris, Dustin Scrivner, Joshua Sheets, Caroline Spurrier, Colton Thies, 7 Years: Steven Bringer, Robert Johnson, who was born on October 31, 2016. Rhett weighed 4 Joe Marshall, Gilbert Perez, Dusty Young pounds and was 17.5 inches long. John Weber 2 Years: Kevin Abbott, Melissa Akins, 8 Years: Lawrence Fix, Mark Leicht, Rhett entered the world a little early and had to spend Johnny Lima, Ronald Whitewater some time in the hospital initially, but she is healthy and Derek Anderson, Edward Boring, Bradley Bridges, Timothy Brockway, Isaiah Calde- 9 Years: Timothy Ainsworth, Ben Coward, doing very well at home now. Brian Ezell, Ty Furgason, Joy Hill, Hugo Josh has been with the Blue Ridge Southern Railroad ron, Ian Donovan, Jason Elliott, Nelson Guardado, Ryan Hager, Joshua Hawkins, Ortega, Joseph Patalano, David Riggs, Fred- since startup in July of 2014 and works as a conductor/ erico Romero, Robert Smith engineer. Molly Henneke, Trevor Jones, Steven Kim- ball, Christopher Klevenberg, Ernest Kwek, 10 Years: Robert Balzer, David Flores, Al- Matthew Martinez, Lea Meza, Shawn bert Glenn, Andres Lachino, AJ Mee, Derek Miller, Alberto Ornelas, Jason Prain, Ethan Nyman Reed, Edwin Rial, Adrian Richard, Kevin 11 Years: Michael Lewis, Richard Polk, Seeley, Mica Stevens, Blake Thomas, Jona- Daniel Reeves, Joseph Reid, Warren Sand- thon Trusler, Jeremy Welsh, Michael Welsh, erson, John Scheehle, James Wary, Carla Sandra Williamson Wilson 3 Years: Kevin Adcock, Pedro Armendariz, 12 Years: Douglas Fleming, Matthew Hino- Robert Carder, Darren Cloward, Nicholas josa, Gregory Lovelace Desjarlais, John Dietschweiler, Michele 13 Years: Terry Gilbert, Michael Janke, Dimick, Patrick Flower, John Gogniat, Jerry Brandon Otter, George Villa, Bobby Young Goodwin, Sean Hayden, Marc Hulburt, Jay- 14 Years: Scott Adams, James George, son Keith, Chris King, Evan Klaevemann, Gary Goodwin, James Taylor Jason Kraicek, Jeffrey Lien, Gregory Lock- 15 Years: Sara Hanson Merritt "Rhett" Avery Smiley hart, Dee Mitchell, Ezekiel Montalvo, Cory 16 Years: Serafin Contreras, Bob Cunning- Montoya, Justin Nasello, Odea Nowden, ham, Kevin Schoenhofer Ella LeighAnn White Zachary Overstreet, Walter Sansing, Juan 17 Years: James Andrews, John Clark, Mi- Zach and Amanda White are proud to announce the Solis, Tyboria Springer, Charles Trapp, Tana chael Rock, David Terry birth of their daughter, Ella LeighAnn White. Ella was Wagoner, Kareem Warren, Mark Wottowa 18 Years: Thomas Shirey born on January 19, 2017. She weighed 8 pounds, 12 4 Years: Brent Aycock, Joshua Buee, Steven 19 Years: Daniel Jones ounces and was 20.5 inches long. Coltrin, Steve Coomes, Seth Creason, Mi- 20 Years: Robert Williams Zach is a conductor and has been with the Eastern chael DeLaney, Kyle Forsman, Travis Gath- 21 Years: Chad Rose, Troy Tracy Idaho Railroad since November of 2015. agan, Dylan Hoggle, Christopher Huggett, 22 Years: Michael Sebecic Reed Kunnanz, Michael McMillan, Derek 24 Years: Mark Hoskinson Prestholt, Roger Schlecht, Laura Schmidt, 30 Years: Bonita Perkins Gregory Sherman, Mike Shoemaker 37 Years: Geron Crotwell Roses are red, violets are blue, if you love your Valentine, this is what you'll do... Stop • Look •Listen

Ella LeighAnn White See Tracks, Think Train.

The Dispatch • February 2017• 7 Mansfield Switching Team celebrates eight years injury-free

A big round of applause goes out to our Mansfield team who is celebrating Ernie Austin, Johnny Jones, Randy Canada, Robert Brown, and Wes Hamilton. being injury free for more than eight years- exactly the number of years since Other team members include the following: Kelly Sanders, Derek Witsman, their start-up! The team contributes their success to a strong family atmo- Willis “Cheez” Jones, Keith Austin, Brent Thomas, Jason Smith, Willie Green, sphere at the facility, and being very active in their local community. Antonio Green, Antonio Woods, Rossi Drain, Ken Pitts, Ren Wilkins, Eddie The mill originally opened in 1980 and at one time was the largest paper mill “Fruity” Atkins, and Jonathan Hall. in the world. Watco took over switching the facility on December 1, 2008, and Location Manager Ernie Austin is a bit superstitious about the anniversary, "I operates 24/7 - 365 days a year. There are two 12-hour shifts and one eight- try not to focus on it too much and just keep going forward. It's better to keep hour shift that serves the facility. The team switches different jobs at the plant, looking ahead and doing what we can to stay safe." during various stages of production. They are responsible for switching tank Senior Vice President of Operations Keith LaCaze said, "I’m extremely proud cars which come in at the beginning of the paper making process. Another re- of all of the Watco Team Members at the International Paper Mill in Mansfield. sponsibly the team members take on is to switch out cars on the recycling side These men work daily to uphold Watco’s Customer First Foundation Principles of the plant. Finally, the team switches out the cars and delivers them to Class 1 of serving our Customer in a safe and efficient manner. To reach this milestone partners KCS and Union Pacific. On average they handle roughly forty to fifty in a very difficult environment is an excellent achievement and sets the bar outbound loads a day. high for all of us to follow." There have been five members that have been at the location since start up; - Molly Henneke, Contributing Writer

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Paying it forward on the BLU Paying it forward is a movement that started with the idea of not paying a favor back, but instead repaying it to others instead of the original benefactor. This has become a pretty common practice across the states, but in an unusual circumstance, an act of kind- ness towards an animal was paid forward. It all started when a writer for Trains Magazine mentioned that the Blue Ridge Southern (BLU)Team Members would grab an apple as they headed out the door in order to give it to a train lov- ing donkey named Jasper along the route. Ryan Marsh, an 11 year-old from Knoxville, Tennessee, saw the article and wrote a letter to BLU General Manager Darl Farris. Left: the letter 11 year-old Ryan Along with the letter, Ryan also sent a box of apples for the team Marsh sent to BLU General Man- members to give to Jasper. ager Darl Farris along with the box of apples (above) that he sent for "We are a part of the community and we do care about our the team to feed Jasper the don- neighbors," said Farris. "Operationally, there are a few reasons we key after reading a story in Trains stop at that location, Jasper is just a fortunate benefactor." Magazine. - Tracie VanBecelaere, Managing Editor