March 2022 — “It’s not my job” can be an attitude of some workers. 

Whatever is the opposite of that mentality seems to be the perspective of Whitney Wilson.

Wilson is part of the fleet side of the operations at Greens Port, Watco’s huge multimodal facility in Houston. It might be understandable if her hands were full in her role as a supply supervisor, scheduling vehicle repairs and getting parts for the thousand pieces of equipment at the 735-acre complex, or with her three direct reports. Instead, she is known for going out of her way to ask others how she can help them.

Bob Bradfield knows this firsthand. He and Wilson are on the same team but responsible for different areas. As Facilities Manager, Bradfield maintains buildings; Wilson’s realm is equipment maintenance and purchasing. Yet “If I’m looking for new security contractors or someone to pave 7 acres of dock area, she’ll take the lead on getting bids,” Bradfield says. 

In fact, she took the lead not long ago for a complex bid to find a new security contractor. At Greens Port, there are 57 security officers on three shifts, with three patrol vehicles. “It’s a big operation,” says Bradfield, “like our own little police force.” Wilson drove the “very detailed, intricate” request for a bid proposal, including security requirements of the Federal Maritime Security Act. Once proposals came in, Wilson teamed with Audrey O’Toole, who works in Purchasing out of Watco’s Pittsburg, Kansas, headquarters. They organized all proposals’ details in a spreadsheet, which Bradfield called “an incredibly cumbersome task.

“That’s just a little example of what she does all the time,” he continued. “You don’t have to ask. She takes the lead. She does it for every department, every team. This is a big place. We have somewhere around 900 team members, 6.5 million square feet of warehouse. Three-hundred-some tenants. She’s always asking ‘Can I do more? Did I do enough?’ It’s kind of a rare quality.”

Greens Port Facilities Supervisor Phillip McGraw depends on Wilson, too. “She’s my No. 1 go-to person outside of Bob, who’s usually tied up in meetings. I use her more than anybody. She helps me with anything from contracts and contractors to simply just where to find certain items to purchase or which department or manager to talk to. I’m new, and this facility is huge. I can always count on Whitney for any assistance and to point me in the right direction.”

It’s clear Wilson is a reliable, versatile teammate. “Her name comes up every week,” says Bradfield. “‘Oh, Whitney’s on that.’ ‘Whitney helped me with that.’ ‘Whitney got that taken care of.’” He stresses the significance of Wilson’s contributions. “I just really respect her. If she weren’t here, our jobs would be infinitely harder.”

Read about others like Whitney who are making a difference at Watco and beyond. Learn More