Skip to content
If you have any issues accessing this website, please call 206.652.1129 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. in the Pacific time zone.
People of Saltchuk

People of Saltchuk

The stories behind the Saltchuk family of companies

  • saltchuk.com
  • Saltchuk Job Board

Florida

Tropical’s trailer triumph keeps trucking along

February 8, 2023February 8, 2023 7 min read

In 2016, Tropical Shipping embarked on an inland transport Continuous Improvement project that’s saved millions and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 17,000 metric tons. In 2016, Dave Hearl and Van Kent had an idea. “Our teams are always looking for

Read more
Pierce, DCT

Saltchuk leaders connect to make dreams come true

January 24, 2023March 9, 2023 4 min read

TOTE President Tim Nolan’s service on the board of a Florida nonprofit sparked a fundraising firestorm strengthened by Saltchuk companies’ overarching commitment to community. When TOTE President/CEO Tim Nolan first moved his family to Florida 10 years ago, he was

Read more
Merrilee Gorman

Tropical operations manager celebrated for Distinguished Service in Safety

November 15, 2022November 15, 2022 4 min read

Merrilee Gorman is ‘deeply concerned with doing the right things the right way.’ Vessel Operations Manager Merrilee Gorman began her career at Tropical Shipping 38 years ago as a File Clerk in Accounting. “When I first started at Tropical, it

Read more
Erika Vega, TMPR

2020 Safety Award nominee Q&A: Erika Vega, TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico

August 3, 2021August 3, 2021 3 min read

In the fourth of a nine-part Q&A series, TOTE PR Risk Management Generalist Erika Vega answers questions about her life, career, and nomination for this year’s awards. In 2019, TOTE received its 45001 ISO certification for safety. Erika Vega led

Read more
Tamara Lowe

Dominica Island Manager’s unlikely career a roadmap for women in shipping

July 22, 2021March 10, 2022 6 min read

Tamara Lowe: ‘My roles involve aligning efforts toward promoting an awareness among young women of the career opportunities available within the Maritime sector with the hope of addressing the under-representation of women in the industry.’ Tamara Lowe grew up on

Read more
Mary Kiernan, Tropical.

Honoring “the Mother of Tropical”

May 24, 2021May 24, 2021 6 min read

Mary Kiernan passed away May 10; she recently celebrated 40 years with Tropical Shipping. Tropical Shipping Vessel Analyst Mary Kiernan, dubbed “the Mother of Tropical,” celebrated 40 years with the company on March 18, 2021. She passed away last week

Read more
Julissa Moreta, Tropical Shipping

Safety Award finalist ‘fearless’ in preventing safety incidents

December 10, 2020December 10, 2020 4 min read

Julissa Moreta calls ‘time out’ on unsafe work situations in her native Dominican Republic Saltchuk Safety Award finalist Julissa Moreta was born and raised in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Her father, a regional sales manager, and her mother,

Read more
Nic and Marjorie Zoretic

Complementary careers key to couple’s early success

November 19, 2020November 19, 2020 11 min read

Nic and Marjorie Zoretic spent the past decade navigating parallel sailing careers and now shoreside positions with Foss, TOTE. Nic and Marjorie Zoretic first crossed paths at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. Nic, born

Read more
Van Kent, VP, Tropical Shipping.

VP sees core values at work during 15-year tenure with Tropical

October 29, 2020October 29, 2020 10 min read

Van Kent: ‘We’re always the first to arrive after a storm, and we not only help our employees but also provide help to entire communities. You don’t see that from a lot of other companies.’ Van Kent’s mother worked two

Read more

Fifty years in the driver’s seat

July 13, 2020March 10, 2022 11 min read

Shoreside Logistics Driver Allen McKnight is the 2019 recipient of the Mike Garvey Award for Distinguished Service in Safety. He began his truck-driving career almost 50 years ago on Aug. 29, 1971.

Read more

Tropical’s South Florida Sales Team sends message of confidence to customers

April 29, 2020April 29, 2020 2 min read

A typical week sees the 10 members of Tropical’s Miami-based South Florida Sales Team hitting the road, calling on customers in Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Lucy, and Okeechobee counties. Since March 16, the team’s workweek has been anything but typical.

Read more

Career mariner embraces life shoreside

March 16, 2020March 16, 2020 3 min read

Don Croal: ‘After 45 years, it’s still an adventure, not just a job.’ By Hilary Reeves Across the street from Dornsford (Don) Croal’s childhood home in Guyana lived a ship captain and merchant mariner who would one day change his

Read more

NAC Captain takes life one adventure at a time

January 10, 2020January 15, 2020 8 min read

Soldier, musician, pilot (and amateur herpetologist) Adam Townley-Wren began flying for Aloha Air Cargo in 2014. By Hilary Reeves Northern Air Cargo 767 Captain Adam Townley-Wren was born in New Orleans to parents who met playing drums in Tulane University’s

Read more
  • ← Previous

Interested in working for the Saltchuk Family of Companies?

Looking for a great place to grow your career?
Visit the Saltchuk Job Board

Categories

  • Alaska (71)
  • California (4)
  • Career Growth and Advancement (2)
  • Caribbean (55)
  • Companies (126)
  • COVID-19 (18)
  • Environment (11)
  • Ethics (4)
  • Family Ties (34)
  • Featured News Stories (241)
  • Florida (25)
  • Giving (23)
  • Hawaii (26)
  • Joining the Family (7)
  • Main Site Feature Story (226)
  • PNW (58)
  • Public Policy (5)
  • Regional News (24)
  • Safety (74)
  • Saltchuk (160)
  • Saltchuk People (230)
  • Veterans (23)
  • Videos (17)

Topics

air cargo Alaska Anchorage Awards Caribbean caribbean shipping Carlile Charitable Giving Community Delta Western family Family Ties Florida Foss Foss Maritime Giving Growth Hawaii History Hurricane Jacksonville leadership NAC NAMS Northern Air Cargo puerto rico retirement Safety safety award Safety Culture Saltchuk Saltchuk Alaska saltchuk family Saltchuk People Seattle shipping to caribbean Tacoma TOTE TOTE Maritime Tropical Tropical Shipping trucking tugboat tugs Young Brothers

ABOUT THE MAGAZINE

People of Saltchuk was created in 2014 to highlight the hard working people dedicated to making Saltchuk companies the best in their industries. We think the transportation industry is fascinating, and hope you find the stories here interesting, inspiring and enlightening as you learn about the companies and people that make up the Saltchuk family. If you have a suggestion for a feature, please > contact Emily Reiter

> VISIT SALTCHUK.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

HILARY REEVES

Hilary Reeves spent 10 years as a newspaper reporter and editor before joining the Saltchuk family of companies as a consultant. Since People of Saltchuk launched in 2014, Reeves has interviewed more than 200 Saltchuk employees from operating companies all over the world. Born in Tacoma, Washington, Reeves is a former president of both the collegiate and local professional chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists, a graduate of the Society’s Ted Scripps Leadership Institute, and a Toastmaster. When she’s not writing, she loves to read, ski, and practice the piano. She lives in West Seattle with her husband and two young daughters.

Interested in working for the Saltchuk family of companies? Check out the Saltchuk Job Board for opportunities throughout the nation.

> VISIT THE SALTCHUK JOB BOARD

Copyright © 2023 People of Saltchuk. All rights reserved.