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People of Saltchuk

People of Saltchuk

The stories behind the Saltchuk family of companies

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Wendell Hiser, Carlile

Project manager’s CI improvement plan strengthens Carlile’s Tacoma warehouse

March 9, 2023March 9, 2023 6 min read

Wendell Hiser’s team pulled together to improve productivity, customer satisfaction, and employee morale. For Carlile Transportation Project Manager Wendell Hiser, Continuous Improvement isn’t just about implementing shiny new ideas—it’s the small details that matter the most. “Coming from air freight

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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

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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

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Leslie Hinton in Palmer, Alaska.

Family helping family

December 23, 2022January 16, 2023 5 min read

Earlier this year, Naniq Director Mike Hinton’s sister was in crisis. Five Saltchuk companies worked together to help bring her home for Christmas. In May, Mike Hinton took a phone call from his older sister that would change his life

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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

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CITB

CITB team’s incremental approach earns award for safety innovation

November 1, 2022November 1, 2022 3 min read

President Jeff Johnson: ‘independent streak’ of Alaskans fuels culture of advancement Cook Inlet Tug and Barge (CITB) crews meet the return of winter this month armed with a series of mariner-engineered safety improvements aimed at addressing the inherent dangers of

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Robert Ackley, Tropical

Safety Q&A with Robert Ackley, Tropical Shipping

October 11, 2022October 11, 2022 4 min read

Tropical Shipping Shipside Operations Supervisor Robert Ackley is a 2021-2022 Saltchuk Safety Award nominee after a series of pinch-point finger and hand injuries led to co-creating a tool that allows the company’s stevedores to hold lifting cables away from cargo,

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Carly Remm, Foss

Safety Q&A with Carly Remm, Project Manager, Foss Maritime

September 8, 2022September 8, 2022 4 min read

Project Manager Carly Remm has proven to be a great asset for Foss Atlantic, having successfully triaged many of the safety issues encountered during the reactivation of a fleet of dilapidated vessels, returning (to date) five vessels back into safe

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Leray Leasure

Safety Q&A with Leray Leasure, Deckhand Engineer, Foss Maritime

August 30, 2022September 8, 2022 3 min read

As a new hire to Foss Maritime, Leray Leasure was nominated for a 2021-2022 Saltchuk Safety Award for stepping up to address safety issues within the company’s Columbia Snake River fleet. During the past two years, he’s championed improvements in

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Coleen Kaneshiro, AAC

Aloha Director of HR details career ‘journey’

August 25, 2022October 5, 2022 7 min read

Coleen Kaneshiro: ‘I wanted to slow down, and I did. The experience gave me time to reflect on where I was in my career and where I wanted to go.’ Like many born and raised on Oahu, Aloha Air Cargo

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Ed Ehler

Safety Q&A with Ed Ehler, Regional Operations Manager, PNW Oceans & Harbor, Foss Maritime

August 2, 2022August 2, 2022 3 min read

Foss Maritime Regional Operations Manager Ed Ehler was nominated for a 2021-2022 Saltchuk Safety Award for working directly with customers and crew to make sure progress toward safer operations takes place. “This is not easy, and it is time-consuming,” said

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A journey of many

June 15, 2022July 15, 2022 15 min read

Our photo essay of the USS Kitty Hawk’s final sea voyage The USS Kitty Hawk USS Kitty Hawk was named for the site of the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight in 1903. The lead ship of the Navy’s second class

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Mike O'Shea

CITB VP explores new lines of business in Alaska

May 24, 2022October 5, 2022 6 min read

Michael O’Shea: ‘I’ve really been blessed in my life. My only wish would have been to have my mom along for the ride.’ Not long after Michael O’Shea was born, his mother was diagnosed with cancer. “There was never a

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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.

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