February 2022 — A few large customers served by the Watco Logistics office in Springdale, Arkansas, were asked to name features that set Watco apart. They listed things like responsiveness, good communication, and our ability to provide specialty moves that deliver direct to their stores. 

But two of the largest customers both had this attribute at the top of their lists: “Anita.”

As in Anita Van Rooyen, an Account Manager. She’s been with Watco for about four years, and her name was the first thing mentioned as making the company stand out.

“This is coming from both customers telling me the same thing,” stresses Springdale Branch Manager Richard Scott.

For one of those customers, the reason Van Rooyen ranks at the top could be due to how she rose to a challenge in December 2020. That’s when the national specialty retail chain contacted Watco with an issue: They were short on truck drivers and asked if Watco could source drivers to run a couple of lanes in California.

Van Rooyen took on the task, which came with potential hurdles. The request was for power only (the driver brings a tractor but not a trailer). Drivers needed to be qualified to drive hazardous materials. And their truck would need to be fitted with a wiring harness to operate the liftgate trailers. 

Scott elaborated on meeting the customer requirements. “When dealing with hazmat, our options are pretty limited. Searching for drivers in the needed geographic area, following up on who’s interested. It’s a lot of fishing. And power only is kind of a unique service requirement. She also had to locate a service facility to attach the wiring kit for each location.”  

When Van Rooyen succeeded across the board, the customer came back time and again seeking help. She found driver after driver in several geographic areas who were qualified to haul hazmat and willing to modify their tractor for the harnesses. In only six months, Van Rooyen grew this business into the location’s second-largest customer. Today, there are 21 drivers actively hauling this customer’s products. And now, Scott says, “we’ve started selling this service and have picked up five additional customers across the highway division. Anita provided a solution and has added value while meeting the customer’s needs.” 

Scott had additional praise for Van Rooyen. “Anita has a great attitude and work ethic. She is not afraid of a challenge and works outside the box to come up with solutions for her customers. She is a prime example of what makes Watco a great company.”

Read about others like Anita who are making a difference at Watco and beyond. See more stories