August - Weave Management Group

Issue #91
—
August, 28 2012
Website: www.warrentransport-mt.com
New Acquisition: USA
Trucking, LLC
After months of financial analysis and
preparation, Warren Transport, Inc. (WT)
acquired USA Trucking, LLC’s Williston,
ND business on July 9th 2012. Since
Left to Right: USA Trucking’s Ricky, Diane, Scotty and
signing on the dotted line, WT has been
Stacy Legerski & WT’s Rick Jacobs, Daren Severson,
busy transitioning the employees,
Jason Vollmer, & Jim and Diane Weaver
customers, vendors, and equipment into its
business plan. To date, the transition has
gone well, and management thanks everyone involved
for their patience and hard work in getting this done.
This acquisition officially grows WT to 7 branch offices
in 3 states and formalizes its entry into the Bakken
Oilfield. After 3 years of conducting business in this
market area, WT is pleased to have a place of its own
to call home. The 10 acre property, 4 bay shop, and
offices on the north side of Williston provide WT with a
great base of operations to maintain the current
business we have as well as grow in the market.
“We welcome new employees and thank the Legerski family of Casper, WY for their good will though this purchase of their
Williston business!”
- Jason Vollmer, WT General Manager
Customer Profile: Montana Limestone Company
Montana Limestone Company (MLC) is a subsidiary of Dakota Coal Company (DCC) and operates the limestone quarry in
Warren, MT, 15 miles north of Frannie, WY. WT’s relationship with MLC began on July 31, 2002 when Jim Weaver, then co
-owner of MLC, and his partner, sold MLC to DCC. Weaver had spent the
previous 30 years as owner/operator of MLC. At that time the WT-Warren, MT
Branch was established to support WT trucking contracts that were included in the
sale negotiations as well as contracts for on-going road maintenance.
Over the past 10 years, WT has focused on customer service and has maintained
a strong relationship with MLC. The close proximity of the WT-Warren Branch
helps WT provide quick and flexible service. WT continues to be the main contract
hauler for the quarry and hauls limestone products to MLC’s finegrind mill, rail
loading facilities, Billings Generation, Wyoming Lime Producers and various sugar
factories in the region. WT also continues to provide road maintenance work.
Kurt Kiser, MLC Quarry Superintendant
& Jerry Dart, WT Branch Manager
“We have a close relationship because we work TOGETHER daily, and that
working relationship has been very successful. We have recommended WT in the
past, we would in the future, and we do recommend WT to all persons who call
and ask for rate quotes and inquire about transportation."
(Continued p. 2…)
- Kurt Kiser, Quarry Superintendant, MLC
MLC Profile Continued…
“It has been a pleasure to serve MLC over the past 10 years.
We truly value the business and our strong relationship. We
look forward to many more years of working with MLC and wish
the quarry much continued success.” -Jim Weaver, CEO WT
MLC was originally started in the early 1900's as Big Horn
Calcium, a source of limestone for Great Western Sugar and
Holly Sugar. In the past 10 years, Basin Electric Power
MLC loading a WT side dump trailer with “sugar rock”.
Cooperative, the parent company of DCC has made many
investments to the infrastructure of the quarry and crushing
operations. MLC currently has gross sales of over 600,000 tons of limestone annually. The high quality limestone calcium
content is at levels of 95% +/-, most of which is used in the regional sugar beet refining industry. A large portion of the limestone
is used in removing sulfur dioxide from stack emissions at coal based power plants and water treatment facilities. Limestone
from MLC is shipped by rail to northwest U.S. locations and to Canada.
Trucking Branch Updates: WT – Rapid City, SD: Congratulations to WTRapid City for having an amazing quarter and for successfully navigating the Ash Creek
wildfire that closed US Hwy 212 in eastern MT for much of the summer! Drivers navigated
the fires by redirecting their trucks through Miles City, MT and kept all delivery commitments
to PPL. “My drivers stepped up and ‘made it happen’! Thanks to all of my guys!” – Brady
Thompson, Branch Manager. This Branch was opened in January 2011, with 3 drivers and
4 trucks. Today, it has 8 drivers and 9 trucks! WT – Hardin, MT: It is finally looking brighter
as Colorado Energy’s Hardin Generation Station, which had been shut down since March
12th of this year, finally reopened on
August 15. While the plant was shut
down, all WT equipment underwent
thorough inspection and repairs. The
trucks are in top condition and ready for
a good season of hauling coal from the
Westmoreland Mine to Hardin’s
Generation Station. In addition, all
drivers received MSHA beginning miner
training and
Westmoreland
Safety training.
Above: Inside new Lovell, WY Shop. Below:
Plus, WT trucks,
Lovell shop on day of grand opening.
trailers and
equipment
passed Mine
inspection. “We
really want to
thank and
appreciate all of our employees who stuck it out with us through this period of time.
Welcome aboard to the new employees!” – Dean Jensen, Branch Manager. New
Employees: Nate McKinney / Driver (7/9), Coshaunn Snell / Driver (7/18). WT –
Belgrade, MT: New Employees: Bryan Andersen / Driver (6/23), Jeff Parsons / Driver
(7/23), William Donaldson / Driver (7/25). WT – Warren, MT: In late August, WT –
Warren will be transporting 100 car unit trains, utilizing
Raccoons have
100 ton haulers, through a new "over the highway" load
been making
out system. WT – Lovell, WY: The grand-opening for
frequent visits to
the new Lovell shop was on Friday 8/24 –
the WT Billings
Congratulations! New Employees: Chris Riley / Driver
Headquarters.
(6/22), Kevin Mader / Driver 7/5). WT - Billings, MT:
They have been
The sugar beet campaign is around the corner, and WT
found numerous times in
-Billings is back hauling sugar rock trying to build up its
dumpsters. One little guy got
stock pile for the season that’s scheduled to start on
stuck inside the shop wall during
9/7. The building permit for the Headquarters’ office
construction. Animal control
expansion has been approved, so construction will
relocated them to their natural
likely begin in early September. WT - Billings, MT
habitat and set them free.
Shop: Construction on the new shop ( cont. p. 3...)
SAFETY FIRST — ALWAYS!!!
On The HR Front:
Employees participating in the
Health Plan and 401k plan
recently received required
notifications. In summary:
Health Plan – Under the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care
Act (PPACA), an insurance
company must notify participants
about the percentage of insurance
premiums paid vs. the amount of
claims paid.
401k – It is important to know that
every retirement plan has
associated fees. On a monthly
basis, employees will see a $3
recordkeeping fee deducted from
their accounts. On a quarterly
basis, they will see sub-agency
fees deposited to their accounts.
For a time, fees will be more than
credits. Once an employee’s
401k account balance reaches
$14,000, he or she will be at the
“break-even” point. Remember,
WT matches employee
contributions $1 for $1 on
everything contributed to 401k
accounts - up to 5% of the
employee’s income. Employees
are eligible to participate in the
401k after 6 months of
employment and become fully
vested after 5 years. Employees
control how their money is
invested, and need to go on-line
to set up investments at
www.pai.com. At the site, select
‘Employee’ and follow the
directions on the last page of the
“Saving for Retirement” booklet.
To request another booklet, call
Danielle or Judy at 406-245-8833.
Diversified Yet Unified ***** Allied Company News
Environmental Materials, Inc. (EMI): EMI welcomed a new General Manager, Terry
Cook, on 6/1/12. Since Cook joined the team, EMI has seen invigoration of the company and positive
momentum. Cook, wife Michelle, and their 3 children, Briley, Tanner and Cooper, are in the process of
moving to Billings from Gillette, WY. EMI is excited to have Cook onboard and looks forward to continued
success under his leadership! In other news, EMI is constantly adapting to the dynamic change in the
Bakken oil field play in MT and ND. Primary focus has been on continuing to provide excellent technical
service as well as providing the best products. EMI has been building up its bulk handler fleet to better serve
the customer base with bulk Class C materials from Headwaters Resources in ND. Jim Roberts and
Terry
employees at the Billings bag plant just finished converting the plant to have the capabilities to produce bulk
ENVIRO DRY®. Ray Peek was hired as Operations Manager on 7/18 to assist the ND team in technical service as well as
to oversee new facility operations. Jaime Twitchell joined the sales staff at the end of July and will be helping the team to
establish new customers as well as continuing to provide top quality customer service. New Employees: Linda Granley /
ND Office (6/27), Vincent Goes Ahead / Bag Laborer (7/3), Cliff Edwards / Bag Laborer (7/3), Marshall Hankinson / Bag
Laborer (7/6).
EMI In-Safe Bonus: April - $1203.43; May - $ 945.99; June - $ 849.70; Total = $2999.12
EnviroWorks (EW):
Both MT and ND branches have had a full schedule for the first half of the year and continue
at a steady pace for ongoing contract work and new projects. With most of its MDOT work completed, the MT branch has
been working in ND. EW has added 2 new pieces of equipment to its fleet. In June, it took delivery of a new 2012 Terex
RS950B Reclaimer, and in August, a new Stoltz Spreader Truck. New Employees: Dennis Wood / Operator (5/23),
Joshua Baker / Operator (6/20)
Quarry Services (QS): QS continues to safely do a wonderful job at the quarry in Townsend hauling shot rock to
the crusher and stockpile area, hauling fines from the crusher to the waste pile, performing miscellaneous reclamation work,
and shuttling coal from the rail to the lime plant and lime from the lime plant to the rail load out.
Pro Energy: PE is continuing to improve efficiency in processing drilling waste to show value to customers. PE has a
new customer, Hess, who is very satisfied. New Employees: Andrew Sales / (6/5), Kevin Milam / (6/14), Ian Fawley /
(6/18), Bobby Ahlers / (6/18), Danny Ness / (6/27), Shane Lambing / (7/6)
SAFETY FIRST: Did You Know?
Sleep deprivation, whether due to not sleeping long enough or due to interrupted sleep, is a major cause of injuries and
fatalities, either on the job or while driving to or from work. Fatigue itself is hard to measure, but there’s little
doubt of its symptoms. Fatigued workers tend to:
WT Drivers Note: Please follow the DOT mandatory
 Have slower reaction time
rest time rules and make sleep a priority before your
 Show poor logic and judgment
hauls. If you are overly tired, speak with your manager
 Have difficulty concentrating
before driving. If you get tired while driving, pull over
 Be less motivated
and rest. Trucking is a difficult job, and a big rig can
 Have a greater tendency to take risks
Here’s a sobering thought: Researchers conducted a be deadly when a driver is tired and overworked!
study comparing impairment levels in workers with
inadequate sleep to people with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 ml. They found
that a person awake for 17 hours experiences the same level of performance
decline as someone with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 ml. Seven hours later –
after 24 consecutive hours awake – the person’s level of impairment is similar to
that of being drunk. Remarkably, 50% of survey respondents say they have
caught co-workers sleeping at work.
WT Branch Updates cont…. expansion started on July 1st. The new
addition will add 2 bays (for a total of 4) to more efficiently repair and service
equipment. WT – Williston, ND: (See cover story on USA Trucking). New
Employees: Kenneth Carlson / Yard Crew (7/6), Darryl Dagestad / Driver
(7/1), Joshua Dagestad / Yard Crew (7/1), Richard Johnston / Driver (7/1),
John Koonce / Yard Crew (7/1), Gerald Link / Driver (7/1), Amanda Mathwig /
Office (7/1), Joseph Sandgren / Driver (7/1), James Slaney / Driver (7/1).
Jennifer Kondracki, Editor
[email protected]
406-245-8833
Send corrections or suggestions!
SAFETY FIRST — ALWAYS!!!
Office News: Welcome to Jason Sunderland! In the newly
created position of Controller (6/25), Jason will be overseeing day-today accounting of all WT Branches and Affiliated Companies. Prior to
joining WT, Jason was a Public Accountant for 5 years and a CFO/
Controller for 7 years. He has been married to his wife, Karen, for 19
years. He as 4 children, Rhys (15), Kiersten (11), Brennen (8) and Cael
(5) and enjoys camping, martial arts and fishing.
Updated Boulevard Sign
at WT’s Headquarters’
Entrance:
Jason
Safety Fair 2012: Thanks for Attending! The annual
Safety Fair took place on 6/1/12 and was well attended by 162 people! The theme of
this year’s event was ‘Teamwork’, which was evident
throughout the day as all Affiliated Companies were
well represented and presentations highlighted the
synergies between the companies. Many prizes were
given away to lucky winners; especially to those who
chose to sit in the front row! Management gives a
HUGE thanks to all who worked extremely hard to
make the event a success!
In July, a new
boulevard sign
was installed
at the frontage
road entrance
to the Billings
Headquarters.
The new sign
is larger with
new company
logos and
much better
night lighting.
Visit WT’s facebook page for more Safety Fair pictures!
Driver / Mechanic Bonuses:
During Q2 2012, WT paid out $29,917.52 in Safety Bonuses and $27,813.68 in Fuel Bonuses.
April
May
June
WT IN-SAFE
$10,094.71
$ 9,181.69
$10,641.12
WT FUEL
$ 9,363.26
$10,085.58
$ 8,364.84