JANUARY 2023 — Watco’s Greens Port has a rising star in Whitney Wilson. Since joining the Watco team in 2018, she’s held six different positions at the Texas industrial park and now serves as the terminal manager of Houston material handling for breakbulk.  

Greens Port Vice President Ernie Farrand best describes Wilson as “having an upbeat and energetic attitude. She’s inquisitive, always asking questions. But she does that to find out how she can make things better. That’s just how she’s wired.”

Other team members who work with Wilson find this assessment to be more than accurate.  

Take this example. As a former supply manager responsible for equipment and purchasing, Wilson worked closely with Facilities Manager Bob Bradfield. Whether on small or big projects, he could always depend on Wilson. Even if it fell outside her job responsibilities. 

In 2021, she took the lead to find a new security contractor. This was not an easy task, as Greens Port has 57 security officers on three shifts, and three patrol vehicles. But Wilson was certainly up for it. 

For each bid proposal received, she made sure each met security requirements of the Federal Maritime Security Act. Then Wilson teamed up with Audrey O’Toole, who works in Purchasing out of Watco’s Pittsburg, Kansas, headquarters. They organized all proposals’ details in a spreadsheet to help leadership choose the best option to meet the park’s security needs. 

“You don’t have to ask, she takes the lead,” Bradfield said. “She does it for every department, every team. This is a big place. We have somewhere around 650 team members, 3.3 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.”

And the compliments don’t end there. Account Manager Stephanie Allen credits Wilson for helping her learn the ropes after she joined the Watco team last year. During Allen’s first few days and weeks, Wilson took time to explain processes and send resources her way, including a map of the industrial park. 

Allen said, “I don’t know how, but she always recognized when I needed help. She never let me struggle.”

Wilson’s mentorship extends to others, too. Last year she coordinated six lunch-and-learn sessions to provide support to team members. 

“She’s definitely a rising star,” Farrand said. “It’s due in part to her leadership efforts that our team continues to be successful.”

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