THE ALL-STAR EDITION 2022 - Transystems LLC
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THE ALL-STAR EDITION 2022
Transystems salutes 2022 All Stars
I
t takes hundreds and 22 million tons of sugar beets the job done safely.
hundreds of stellar em- and other goods to factories In this, our annual salute to
ployees working thou- and project sites. Transystems' All Stars, we fo-
sands and thousands of It is not an easy task and the cus on outstanding employees
hours to move the millions credit for getting it done lies from each of the company’s
and millions of tons of cargo squarely with the company’s projects as well as the Main-
Transystems is charged with dedicated team of 900-plus tenance and Administration
transporting each year. drivers, backed up by dozens teams.
Transystems’ units run more of skilled technicians, loader With thanks for a job well
than 33 million miles annual- operators and an administra- done, here are the 2022 Tran-
ly, safely hauling more than tive staff focused on getting systems All Stars.
Company's All Stars are professionals
also have a dozen grandkids.
American Falls Fred enjoys hunting, fishing
and doing family things when
F
red Olsen is a profes- he is not working at Transys-
sional driver and an All tems.
Star at the American
A
Falls Project. Billings
Fred has worked for Tran- rland Leider is a
systems since September of Billings Project All
2020. He was referred by his Star.
sons, Daniel and Rick, who A five-year em-
have loaded beets for Transys- ployee, Arland does double
tems in the past. duty as both a loader operator
and a truck driver. And he is
“Fred has a great attitude
Fred great at what he does.
with a growth mindset,” Proj-
“Arland trains most of our
ect Manager Mike Funk said. fishing, Fred is considering new drivers on night shift.
“He is enthusiastic, helpful, signing up for summer con- He believes in and follows all
on time and always willing to struction this year. our safety rules. He is always
work extra shifts. This makes Fred and his wife, Rashon, offering advice to help drivers
him a great asset to our com- have raised four sons, Tyler, out,” Project Manager Chris-
pany.” Rick, Daniel and Colton, and topher Kelly said. “He will
If it doesn’t cut into his one daughter, Megan. They See ALL STARS, Next page
On the cover
One Drayton Project All Star is driver Tyrone Danault. Billy Holum Photo.
2 TransTopix WINTER/SPRING 2022
All Stars come with positive mindsets
From previous page
help anyone who needs help.”
To top it off, he tackles his
job with a positive mindset
and is always in a great mood.
Never late for his shifts, Ar-
land is always willing to stay
late when needed.
A father of three, Arland has
one daughter, Navaeh, 13, and
two sons, Silas, 13, and Jer-
emieh, 9. He likes spending
time with family and hunting
and fishing.
Loader operator Doug Han-
sen is a Bill-
ings Project All
Star because of
his work ethic
and attitude.
The five-year
veteran em-
ployee is very
Doug much appreci-
ated by Project
Manger Chris Kelly.
“Doug has worked a ton of
extra shifts at the pile sites as
well as working the yard for
us this year,” Chris said. “He Crookston All Star technician Shelby Mavis-Watts has an
has never said no to picking "own it" mentality, Project Manager Robin Novak said.
up extra shifts or staying late.” stay late to finish a pile. “Techs Shelby Ma-
And he does it all with a big When not hard at work, vis-Watts and Brad Gulseth
smile on his face. Doug enjoys fishing and hunt- have both shown a tremen-
“Anytime I go to see Doug ing. dous work ethic and an ‘own
T
at the pile, I always pull up to Crookston it’ mentality,” Project Manag-
see a smile on his face and his he Crookston Project er Robin Novak said.
first words being, ‘How are has three All Stars to Shelby came to Crookston
you doing?’" Chris said. honor this time around: about a year ago, straight out
A conscientious employee, two technicians and of the U.S. Marine Corps,
Doug will show up early or one loader operator. See ALL STARS, Next page
WINTER/SPRING 2022 TransTopix 3
All Stars fast learners, good mentors
From previous page
where his final assignment
was in Las Vegas, Nev. Af-
ter his honorable discharge,
Shelby and his wife, Gianna,
moved to Grand Forks, where
she is serving in the U.S. Air
Force.
“Shelby came in with a great
can-do attitude and learned Brad Mason
our trucks so fast he took over
as lead tech after a few short needs. ment, is confident directing
months as the understudy,” “Since Shelby and Brad the drivers at the pile site and
Robin said. joined forces in the shop, is well liked by everyone,”
Along with being a great the PMIs are up to date, the Robin added.
dad to his two children, Jolene down list is always short or Mason works extra shifts
and Brody, Shelby is an avid non-existent, truck downtime almost every week, is willing
hunter and fisherman. is minimal and the shop is to go to other projects and
Brad Gulseth worked for cleaner than this project man- represents the company well.
five beet seasons as a loader ager has seen in his 8 years in He has done so well the
operator in Crookston before Crookston,” Robin said. “Ad- Crookston team is currently
segueing into a tech position. ditionally, both Shelby and training him to run the exca-
While running the loader, Brad are willing to stay late vator.
Brad would occasionally help to get the job done whenever “He will be able to handle
in the shop when needed. needed and often check in on teardown like a pro. Not bad
“When our shop was their days or nights off to see for a man who hasn’t seen
short-handed, we asked him to if we need them for anything. his 20th birthday yet,” Robin
spend two weeks in the shop Thank you, Brad and Shelby.” said.
in lieu of being in the load- Crookston would also like to He came to the project with
er,” Robin recalled. “After congratulate Mason Perreault experience helping farmers
Brad’s two-week stint, Divi- as an All-Star loader operator who trained him well.
sion Maintenance Manager this season. “Thank you, Mason, for be-
Jody Coombs was impressed “A first-year employee, Ma- ing such a valuable addition to
enough to offer him a full- son came in with great work the Crookston Team,” Robin
time spot in the shop.” ethic, was a fast learner in the concluded.
D
Brad hails from nearby loader and has been able to Drayton
Mentor, Minn., where he lives successfully handle anything rivers Randy Napier
with his wife. An avid hunter, we have thrown at him,” Rob- and Tyrone Danault
he is proud of his ability to in noted. were selected as All
live off the land. He can often “He runs a clean pile site, Stars from Drayton.
be found in the woods cutting takes good care of the custom- Both men have two years
up wood for all his heating er’s product and our equip- See ALL STARS, Next page
4 TransTopix WINTER/SPRING 2022
All Stars always on time, safety oriented
From previous page
of experience at the Drayton
Project. Both are skills men-
tors and serve on the project’s
Safety Committee.
“Randy helps with our CDL
training and familiarization
training,” Project Manager
Billy Holum said. “He is al-
ways on time for his shift and
is very safety oriented. Ran-
dy always thinks of his peers
and thinks of others’ safety
issues.”
He has a quick smile and
puts others at ease, Billy add-
ed.
Randy takes summers off
to spend time with his family Above, Drayton All Star driver Randy Napier serves on the
and enjoys hunting and an- project's safety committee and as a skills mentor. Lower right,
tique restoration. EGF All Star Scott Cleveland enjoys the team he works with.
T
“Tyrone is always ready to East Grand Forks
help wherever he is needed he East Grand Forks
and is willing to lend a hand Project is proud to
to anyone,” Billy said. “He is announce two All Stars
known as that this campaign: Scott
helpful voice on Cleveland and Mike Enloe.
the radio.” A U.S. Air Force veteran,
He is one we Scott joined the Drive Team
can depend on Green Skills Development
to help mobilize Program last July and started
hauling beets in August of
trucks for sum-
2021.
Tyrone mer construc- “Recognizing Scott’s skill
tion work, Billy level and adherence to our and with the pre-season Skills
added. And he is also the one safety culture, we asked him Development Program.”
who shows up on stormy days to join our Skills Develop- When asked what he likes
to help out. ment mentor team,” Project about Transystems, Scott had
A motorcycle enthusiast, Ty- Manager Rick Larson said. plenty to say.
rone enjoys spending his free “He is involved and active in “I enjoy the team I work
time with his family. training during the beet haul See ALL STARS, Next page
WINTER/SPRING 2022 TransTopix 5
All Stars are enthusiastic, innovative
so awesome,” Mike said. “I Rick Jensen is Hillsboro’s
From previous page love coming to work to learn other All Star.
with and getting to travel the something new every day.” “Rick has been with us since
area mentoring other drivers,” Travel, honing his barbecue 2014 and is one of our CDL
Scott said. “As a mentor, I am skills and spending time with trainers,” Tom said. “He loves
honing my own skills. I learn his family fill up Mike’s spare teaching his students how to
something new every day.” hours. drive the Big Rigs.”
When he is not working, “We want to say thank you A member of the Safety
Scott enjoys spending time to both Scott and Mike for Committee, Rick is always
with his family, experiment- their hard work and dedica- helping to keep a safe work
ing with grilling and traveling tion,” Rick concluded. environment for
H
to new places on his Indian Hillsboro himself and his
Roadmaster motorcycle. illsboro Project coworkers.
The project’s new lead tech- Manager Tom Rocha “Rick goes
nician is also an All Star. offered up two All above and be-
Mike Enloe is highly Stars. yond for his co-
skilled, very enthusiastic and “My first All workers,” Tom
fun to be around, Rick said. “He does
Star is Steve
Rick noted. anything that is
Petrie,” Tom
He started with needed, no matter if it means
said.
Transystems in traveling to other projects to
Hillsboro on The driver/
mentor/trainer get trucks or just help out.”
March 9, 2021.
has been with Thanks to both these hard
A short two
Steve the project since workers for making Hillsboro
Mike months later, he
became the EGF 2017. a great place to work.
V
lead technician. “He is always willing to step Manufacturing
“Mike is very enthusiastic up and take extra shifts,” Tom eteran welder An-
and innovative,” Rick said. said. “Steve took on the role drew Munsee is a
“He is always willing to share of a mentor to help train driv- Manufacturing Proj-
his ideas with the technician ers from other projects. He ect All Star and one
team and works very well is the first one to answer any of the longest
with the management team. questions and the first to offer serving techs on
He has turned the EGF team a helping hand.” the team.
and shop around. Now we Steve always comes to work “He started
have a top-notch team.” ready to start his day with a with Transys-
Mike leads that team with smile on his face. If needed, tems six years
great leadership skills and is he volunteers to stay late. ago when the
willing to take on any chal- When the sugar beet cam- Andrew project was
lenge that is given to him. paign wraps up, Hillsboro can located in Twin
He likes his job as well as count on Steve to help mo- Falls, so he has been involved
the team likes him. bilize trucks from project to in many changes over the
“The people I work with are project. See ALL STARS, Next page
6 TransTopix WINTER/SPRING 2022
All Stars busy and focused on the job
From previous page
years,” Project Manager Der-
ek Torix said.
Andrew is a welder in the
shop but also helps run the
water jet and press brake. He
jumps in on any mechanical
repairs as they arise.
“Andrew is a great help in
the shop,” Derek said. “He
brings a lot of fabrication
experience to the job and is a
tremendous asset. He works
great alone or with others and
has experience doing all as- Manufacturing's All Star welder Noe Navarrete Mosso began
pects of the job.” his career with Transystems in 2017. Kara Joyce photo.
Andrew helps with the weld and coworkers, Ruger and of the trailers.
testing of potential employees Derrenger Wrigley. “He sticks around after
and is a great help on training Another welder is also an hours to take pictures and
new hires. All Star in Rupert. notes of how the plumbing is
Always busy and focused Noe Navarrete Mosso start- put together so he can better
on getting the job done, An- ed with the Manufacturing understand it,” Derek said.
drew has been involved in Project in January 2017. Noe is always willing to
many different tasks over the For those five years, Noe work extra hours needed to
years, from the typical trailer has been a welder, but he help get the job done. He is
builds to loader step proto- also has helped the team with the type who can work great
types to bumper pull trailers many trailer repairs over the on his own or with anyone on
and countless repair jobs, both last couple years. He helps run the team and gets along with
minor and major. the water jet and press brake everyone. He has helped with
“Andrew works well with and has started training on the training new techs as well as
everyone in the shop and plumbing side. helping with potential em-
helps wherever he can,” Derek “Noe always has a positive ployees during the weld test
said. “We have a great team attitude and is willing to learn portion of the interviews. Noe
here, and Andrew has played a and do any task needed with- can always put smiles on peo-
big part in helping train sev- out any complaints,” Derek ple’s faces and lighten up the
eral employees over the years. noted. “He is always eager to atmosphere.
I really appreciate all his hard learn more about the building Noe enjoys taking time off
work.” process as well as trailer re- in the fall to go deer and elk
In his off time, Andrew has pairs and mechanical work.” hunting with his family as
gotten into shooting archery Always anxious to learn, well as camping and fishing in
in a local league, a hobby he Noe recently started honing the summer.
shares with his wife, Jenna, his skills on the plumbing side See ALL STARS, Next page
WINTER/SPRING 2022 TransTopix 7
All Stars are experts at multitasking
Manager Kirk Ellingford said.
From previous page “Curtis is very safety oriented
and has a very good attitude.”
“When Noe started, he Always eager to learn new
came in as a very green entry tasks, Curtis has good judg-
level welder and he has done ment for where help is needed
a great job at becoming an and when to jump in and offer
outstanding part of the team,” assistance.
Derek added. “Curtis has made a lot of his
“It’s difficult to single out three seasons with us,” Kirk
individuals as All Stars be- added. “He has signed on for
cause every person on our summer work with us, pulling
whole Manufacturing Team is extra shifts and staying late
an All Star. They all do a great until the task is done.”
job,” Derek concluded. Curtis and his wife, Aman-
A
Moorhead da, have four children ranging
man of many talents, in age from 8 to 13: Rye-
Shawn Geist is the lee, Amaya, Emmelyne and
Moorhead Project All Cayden. The Wilcox family
Star this year. likes to explore the areas
Shawn is a triple worker. He around Idaho and Oregon,
works as a driver Curtis Wilcox hiking and seeing nature. They
and excavator also make trips to see the pile
operator during enjoys spending time with grounds Transystems drivers
deep freeze and family and friends any chance haul from as well as the roads
also stands in as he can get. He also likes a that Curtis has worked on in
sub supervisor good barbecue and loves the summer.
when needed. experimenting with different Curtis is happy with his
“He has a posi- things on his smoker. job and said he believes it is
C
Shawn tive attitude and Nampa a great career
is always willing urtis Wilcox started choice.
to help other drivers and man- out with Transystems “There’s al-
agement in any way asked,” as a CDL training stu- ways something
Project Manager Kyle Jacob- dent three years ago new each day,”
son said. “The drivers look and has excelled ever since. he said.
to Shawn as a role model and “His first season, he was a Multi-talent-
as a go-to person if they ever driver. The second year, he ed Curtis Bly Curtis Bly
need help or advice.” was a driver and trainer. This has worked for
Shawn is always on time, if season, Curtis started as a Transystems for 16 years. He
not early for his shift. And he driver trainer and dispatcher, started out in Nampa in 2006.
will stay late if asked or if the then made the move to be- Then, he worked two seasons
job at hand is not finished. come a sub supervisor along in American Falls before
In his off-duty hours, Shawn with dispatcher,” Project See ALL STARS, Next page
8 TransTopix WINTER/SPRING 2022
All Stars can be counted on in a pinch
that has proven true this year,” starting immediately after the
From previous page Kirk added. campaign.
J
heading to the Sidney Project Paul She knew who to call upon
for 13 years. This year, he ason Young started work- for help.
returned to Nampa, where he ing as a driver at the Paul “I recruited Jason to help
wears many hats. Project on Nov. 6, 2020. me and my supervisor, Allen
“Curtis has been a driver, After a three-year stint Becker, with this enormous
filled in at the loader position working in the oil fields in task, and together we got it
and helped as yard coordina- North Dakota, he was more done just in time,” she said.
tor,” Nampa Project Manager than ready to “We couldn’t have done it
Kirk Ellingford said. “The make a change, without his help.”
only piece of equipment he Paul Project Jason also stepped up to
has not operated is the Ropa, Manager Coral help on a construction job
and he hopes to run that next Torix said. working on the new Port of
season.” It didn’t take Entry at the Idaho Utah Junc-
Curtis has also worked ev- Coral long to tion. He drove and also helped
ery summer on the construc- Jason discover Jason’s supervise the job, Coral noted.
tion projects in many different With two years of diesel me-
many skills.
locations. chanic studies at the College
“Shortly after he started
This year, Curtis helped of Southern Utah under his
driving for Transystems, I
by pulling extra shifts and belt, one of Jason’s favorite
coming in on his days off to learned he had a lot of expe-
hobbies is rebuilding engines.
help fill in when the project is rience running all kinds of “Jason has a lot of potential,
short-handed or someone is equipment,” Coral said. “So
I quickly started him in a and I know he’ll continue to
sick. be a huge asset to this com-
“He is one we count on loader. He thrived at it. After
pany, now and in the future,”
when we get in a pinch,” Kirk only a couple of hours, he was Coral added.
loading trucks as if he’d been
T
said. “He always has a great Renville
attitude and that rubs off on doing it for years.” he Renville Project’s
other employees.” Realizing that Jason was All Star is Gilbert
Curtis and his wife, Cindy, great at multitasking, Coral Trevino Sr., who
have been together for 46 made him one of the Yard Co- passed away in De-
years. They share four chil- ordinators on the night shift. cember.
dren and seven grandchildren. He has done a fantastic job “It might be hard to recall
He enjoys spending time making sure the factory never where you first met Gilbert,”
with his family. Honing their runs out of beets and, at the Night Supervisor Dave Elsing
woodworking skills, Curtis same time, keeping up pro- said. “I believe he worked
and his son recently complet- duction on the outside piles. at almost every Transystems
ed a storage barn in his yard. Last spring, as the beets location.”
“It has been great to have were winding down, Coral Gilbert worked many con-
Curtis back in Nampa this sea- had to quickly get 28 sets of struction jobs throughout his
son. He always says he will trailers ready for Utah con- career at Transystems and was
work anytime, anywhere, and struction projects that were See ALL STARS, Next page
WINTER/SPRING 2022 TransTopix 9
All Stars befriend their coworkers
help make this project a really
From previous page good place to work. And, yes,
renowned for his willingness you get to put some ideas into
to help anyone with anything. action to make our drivers and
“‘No’ was not part of Gil- loaders better at what they
bert’s vocabulary,” Dave do!”
recalled. “He was friendly and Tara and Randi: “Well,
helpful to everyone he met. John, that sounds okay. But
And he always enjoyed having we don’t know…”
fun with his coworkers, joking John: “Ahh, come on! You
around and telling stories, but up for a challenge?”
keeping safety in mind.” Tara and Randi: “Fine.
Gilbert was a Skills Mentor Gilbert We’ll do it.”
during Skills Development John: “Awesome! You
Training in Renville, helping Even though Gilbert is no won’t regret it too much.”
many new drivers start their longer with us, his legacy will Sidney’s Sugar Beet
careers at Transystems. be remembered. Rest in peace, 2021-22, Final Act
He always said his was the Gilbert. You were an All Star John: “Well, here we are
easiest and most rewarding to all of us here at Transys- almost wrapped up and our
job you could ever have. tems,” Craig LeLoux, Project campaign is running on all
Gilbert would help drivers Manager, concluded. cylinders and doing great
S
with any questions they had. Sidney thanks to Tara and Randi.”
During adverse weather he idney’s Campaign John again: “I have told
was often overheard advising 2021-22, Act 1 you two ladies a thousand
drivers about poor road condi- John: “Hey, Tara and times you are doing great. I
tions and how to drive safely. Randi.” know it’s a constant ongoing
“Most of all, Gilbert became Tara Carpen- battle.”
a good friend to everyone he ter and Randi And again:
met,” Dave said. “He was Hass: “Yeah, “TransTopix,
known by many in the Tran- John?” thank you for
systems family across the John: “What allowing me
country.” do ya think to let everyone
“He was an All Star in every about sub super- out there know
sense of the word and was Tara visor positions Randi about the out-
proud to be part of our Tran- and giving me standing efforts
systems family,” Dave added. a hand this campaign? The of these hardworking women
He is survived by: his hours are great. The people who make it all worth it. You
wife, Mary Trevino; his chil- you work with are really cool, couldn’t ask for better peo-
dren, grandchildren and one and you get to drive a cool ple to work with to get a job
great-grandchild, Layla. pickup!! LOL. done.”
Gilbert was a great asset to John again: “Okay, I know The End
Transystems and will be great- you want to know the real
ly missed. deal. You have a chance to See ALL STARS, Next page
10 TransTopix WINTER/SPRING 2022All Stars rack up accident-free miles
Jim has been on some sum-
From previous page mer jobs in the past, but a
T
Twin Falls couple of hip surgeries last
win Falls All Star year put him on the bench for
driver Jim Kelley is a while.
no stranger to the road. “We are hoping to get him
He put in 41 years and in a truck again this summer,”
3.5 million accident-free miles Tyler added.
with UPS before joining Tran- In his free time, Jim repairs
systems four years ago. small engines. He and his
After retiring from UPS, Jim wife, Karlene, also enjoy play-
decided he needed something ing in their golf league. Be-
to keep him busy in the win- tween them, the couple share
ter. eight kids, 21 grandchildren
“We are very happy he and eight great-grandchildren.
chose to join us,” Twin Jim was the mayor of Albion,
Falls Project Manager Tyler Idaho, for eight years.
Wetherelt said. “Jim is always
willing to help whenever we
need it and always has a great
attitude whenever he comes
in. No matter the conditions or Jim
circumstances, Jim gets into
his truck and runs his shift.” A stickler for PPE, Jim nev-
When a new driver signs er goes on duty without his
on at the Twin Falls Project, safety equipment. He does
Jim is always willing to take a superior job checking his
him or her under his wing and equipment and making sure
show them the ropes. that any issues are resolved or
“Jim attended mentor train- that someone is notified. Aron
ing this past fall and has been “You don’t run as many
a great asset whenever we’ve accident-free miles as he has
T
needed to train a new driver,” without being fastidious about Worland
Tyler added. your equipment,” Tyler noted. he Worland Project is
Besides being a skilled driv- And he is willing to put in shining a light on two
er and mentor, Jim is a plea- the hours it takes to get the job All Stars this year.
sure to have around. done. Linehaul driver Aron
“I enjoy it whenever Jim “With the number of trips Mullis and Joe Maul, a load-
walks into the office,” Tyler that were taken to Nampa this er operator, were both named
said. “There is something year, Jim had several days All Stars by Project Manager
about him that can make a day that he ran long hours due to Joe Kunz.
better no matter what kind of weather, road closures and An eight-year Transystems
See ALL STARS, Next page
day you are having.” factory hiccups,” Tyler said.
WINTER/SPRING 2022 TransTopix 11All Stars 'utilize shifts to the max'
ensures that others do as well.
From previous page He also offers to pick up extra
veteran driver, Aron shines shifts on his days off.”
at his part-time Transystems He is very observant, mak-
duties while working full time ing sure all members of the
for the state highway depart- team are following the loading
ment. He uses his vacation plan and safety rules.
time to help the company out. And he is always in a good
“Aron takes two weeks of mood, Joe Kunz said.
vacation in October to come “He is very pleasant to work
help us out getting our long with and goes above and
hauls going,” Joe said. “After beyond following company
his two weeks are up, he fills standards and safety rules. He
in on the weekends when he is Joe
shows up early for his shifts
able to.” and stays as long as needed
Ever thoughtful, Aron al- A member of the Safety Com- to make sure that his relief is
ways calls on Thursdays to mittee, Aron has always sur- good to go.”
see if there is a driver’s spot passed Transystems’ standards When Joe is not at work, he
available for him over the for safety. enjoys spending time with his
weekend. He is always willing In his spare time, Aron family. His hobbies include
to pick up any shifts on the enjoys spending time with his playing softball in the sum-
weekends, night or day, Joe wife, Eileen, and family. His mer, getting involved in dem-
said. hobbies include metal work in olition derbies and going to
“Aron is by far an All Star his shop and yard work, keep- the gym with his wife, Laura.
in the Worland Project, always ing his lawn in tip-top shape. When it comes to fun and
here early and ready to go at During the summers, Aron games, Joe is a competitive
any call we make to him. He loves camping and spending dart and cornhole tournament
always utilizes his shifts to the time with his grandkids. player.
max to get all the loads he can Worland’s other All Star, “It is a pleasure to have both
in during his time behind the Joe Maul, has been a Tran- Joe and Aron on our Worland
wheel,” Joe said. systems yard loader operator team,” Joe concluded.
He is both reliable and a for two years.
T
good instructor, always look- Administration
“Joe is always here early for
ing out for and mentoring his his shift to make sure nothing hree employees were
coworkers to ensure they are has changed from the previ- chosen as the Admin-
following procedures correct- ous day,” Project Manager Joe istration Team’s All
ly. Kunz said. “He sets a good Stars.
“Aron puts a smile on ev- example for other operators. Cheyenne Goff of Twin
eryone’s face whether he is His pile ground is always Falls, Ayde Delarosa of
coming in to pull a shift or cleaned up, and he keeps up Moorhead and Marlee
just to chat,” Joe said. “He is on the maintenance of his Leuenberger of Sidney were
always here with a great story equipment. Joe always fol- saluted by Division Adminis-
and ready to work.” lows all our safety rules and See ALL STARS, Next page
12 TransTopix WINTER/SPRING 2022All Stars help others succeed at work
them, helping other people be clerk.
From previous page successful,” Kari said. “She She enjoys the challenges
tration Managers Rachael likes recruiting new employ- and camaraderie that come
Hunter and Jodie Hunt and ees to the Sidney project.” with her job.
Vice President of Administra- Marlee and John work as a “My favorite thing about
tion Kari Franks. team to keep their trucks run- this company is the
Marlee Leuenberger joined ning all year. Sidney kept all ever-changing tasks, day-to-
the Sidney the trucks needed running this day, and meeting all the won-
Project as Clerk year and helped other projects derful people I work with,”
in August 2020. by transferring drivers. Cheyenne said. “When I’m
Since then, “Marlee always has a smile not at work I enjoy camping,
Sidney Project and is willing to help wherev- riding in my side-by-side and
Manager John er needed,” Kari added. “She sitting on the front porch with
Hoadley has be- has a great attitude.” my husband, Devin, and my
Marlee come a big fan. Marlee and her husband, dog, Della.”
“Every day, Wayne, like to spend their Ayde Delarosa joined the
with every employee, Mar- free time outdoors camping Moorhead
lee makes a personal effort or helping take care of their location as
to greet them with a smile daughter Whitney, son Garett, part-time clerk
and a good morning or good granddogs Jet and Boxer, and in August of
afternoon. She wants people grandcat Scruffy. 2019. She is in
to know that she’s there to Cheyenne joined the Idaho her second year
take care of them,” John said. team as a re- as a full-time
“Marlee does her job well and ceptionist two Ayde clerk.
is always going above and be- years ago. It “Ayde is always
yond. Marlee makes everyone didn’t take her the first clerk on the job each
feel important and special no long to rise to day and is always willing to
matter who it is.” Administration stay as long as necessary to
John finds her remarkably Coordinator for get the job done,” Rachael
reliable, and so does Kari. the division. said. “Her work is always
“I have always been able to Cheyenne “Cheyenne exceptionally accurate. She
count on Marlee,” Kari com- has taken on the task of pro- comes to work with a great
mented. “She takes on respon- cessing all of the numerous attitude and a big smile.”
sibility without being asked.” IC Loads, reconciliation and “Ayde is great at putting her
And she is an enthusiastic invoicing confirmation,” Jodie best foot forward, even when
Administration Team build- commented. “She is always things get more challenging.
er. In 2020, Marlee helped willing to come in early and She is a welcoming face at the
Transystems find a weekend stay late.” project and voice on the phone
clerk and, in 2021, she trained Cheyenne constantly helps for applicants,” Rachael add-
our new weekend clerk, Zoe the project clerks and man- ed.
Fahrnow. agers with their requests and As clerk, Ayde schedules the
“Marlee likes training others needs, and she also serves as Moorhead safety com-
and is always looking out for the division’s construction See ALL STARS, Next page
WINTER/SPRING 2022 TransTopix 13Manufacturing focuses on new trailers
With 58 new trailers on order for the company's new Nebraska and
Colorado projects, the team at Manufacturing is working harder
than ever. The first trailers will be delivered in June, according to
Project Manager Derek Torix. The biggest challenges currently
are staffing and getting the air tanks. Kara Joyce and Derek Torix
photos.
All Stars take team's safety to heart
And she is willing to take
T
From previous page Maintenance her show on the road. Nicole
mitee meetings and attends ransystems’ Mainte- has traveled to most of the
and takes notes. nance Team is packed projects and all three divi-
She can be relied on to prac- with All Stars, but this sions to work on inventory.
tice safety every day, always year Nicole Kelly rose She helped in the scale house
demonstrating the importance to the top of the in South Dakota in summer
of simple things, such as pack. 2020.
wearing the appropriate PPE
A Mainte- “She is skilled in the hir-
whenever on the factory prop-
nance Support ing process and has done an
erty.
Ayde is willing to run any Specialist in excellent job helping us with
errands the project needs to East Grand technician staffing,” Troy add-
keep things running smoothly. Forks, Nicole ed. “She helps with parades
Nicole started with the and hiring events and is the
Ayde and her husband, Man-
uel, emigrated to the United company as a clerk. first to volunteer. She is a vital
States from Mexico in 2017. “Nicole is the expert on the gear on our team and is just an
They settled in Fargo to be maintenance system,” Vice all-around great person.”
near family living in the area. President of Maintenance When she's not at work,
They enjoy spending time Troy Carl said. “She has Nicole enjoys spending time
with their chihuahuas, Rambo, worked with all the shops, camping at Devils Lake, and
Bonita, Beto and Pocket. training techs on the system.” she likes to fish.
14 TransTopix WINTER/SPRING 2022Division Reports
RRV keeps beets moving despite challenges
B
ad weather and a short- Sidney, Worland and Billings
age of employees have giving us a hand. And as soon
challenged the Red as Nampa wraps up, we will
River Valley team this get some Idaho drivers to add
campaign. to the mix.
With a very good beet crop We appreciate the great mi-
harvested in the northern val- gration of Team Green. People
ley, the Valley team has been from all of our locations are
working hard to keep the facto- definitely keeping the Valley
ries fed and the wheels turning. afloat.
Our employees The 11 new 2022 Freightliner
have been help- tractors we got this campaign
ing every way have been working very well
possible with after a couple of hiccups at the
both referrals start. The Hillsboro drivers are
and pick-up Despite harsh conditions, very happy with them.
days. the beets rolled on in the We also have our mainte-
But it hasn’t Red River Valley. Bill Schulz nance staff to send out a huge
Tracy been a simple thanks to. They have been
photo.
task. Businesses throughout the dealing with a difficult new
tion programs.
Red River Valley are hurting computer system, and still are
Then there’s the weather. It
for employees right now, from managing to keep our trucks on
hasn’t done us any favors. Our
restaurants to trucking compa- the road and in better condition
drivers and operators grappled
nies like us. than we have seen in decades.
with large amounts of snow
We’ve tackled the problem The division office will be
and wind. Multiple blizzards
head-on and have had success relocating this spring to North
prompted too-frequent shut-
through our Skills Develop- Washington Street in Grand
downs. But our team worked
ment Program and by working Forks. The building is current-
together to get safely through
with a couple of local colleges ly being remodeled and will
the harsh conditions.
to hire drivers. Like other provide us with more room, a
The Moorhead Project really
employers across the country, better conference room, space
stood out this campaign. They
we are trying to figure out what for maintenance training and a
held their own and helped other
happened to the employee pool major repair bay, and a location
RRV projects all season long
during the pandemic. Where to run doubles in Grand Forks.
while working with a record
did the people go? I wish I We look forward to the move.
number of independent con-
knew. And we hired a new reception-
tractors. And, fortunately, we
Former clerk and Admin ist to go with the new building.
have the entire Transystems
Coordinator Tessa Kent also McKenna Lunneborg joined
family to depend upon.
stepped up to help us out with us in January. But don’t worry.
We have drivers from all of
staffing. She is our new staffing Beth Juarez’s smiling face will
the company’s other projects
specialist and has jumped in to still come with us to the new
coming to help us out. There
improve our hiring and reten- See RRV, Next page
are drivers here from Renville,
WINTER/SPRING 2022 TransTopix 15Division Reports
Idaho reports poor weather, great teamwork
W hile weather was an
issue in the Idaho
Division, it didn’t
stop the crew from
hauling beets on schedule.
It has been much cooler than
around here, but our drivers take
it safely in stride.
While staffing could have been
better, we got the job done for
our customer.
We started hauling beets the
We are looking forward to
another great beet season next
year, with the growers planning
to plant 100 percent this spring.
With a good snowpack in place
and the weather cooperating, we
normal in Idaho first week of September and will should have lots of beets to haul
this campaign wrap up the campaign soon – next fall in Idaho.
with a lot of icy mid-February for Nampa and the Wyoming, Montana
and foggy con- first week of April for Paul and Sidney wrapped up a good
ditions added in. Twin Falls. campaign at the beginning of
Three stormy Then we will get ready for the February. We really appreciated
weeks around summer construction season, the Sidney drivers who helped
Christmas tested with a couple of jobs already on out in the Red River Valley this
Kevin
our drivers’ mettle the books. campaign. The season went well
and shut us down a few times. We will be working with Ames in Sidney and in Billings, which
On the bright side, beets love Construction on the Legacy wraps up mid-February. Worland
the cooler temperatures and are Highway project near Salt Lake will be finished by March 1.
storing very well. But we are all City. And, once again, we will I’d like to thank everyone for
ready for spring to show up. partner up with Knife River for a the diligent work efforts put
The team’s safe driving prac- haul from Idaho Falls to Jackson forth. You are what makes Tran-
tices and hard work were, as Hole. We appreciate the oppor- systems successful.
usual, something to take pride tunity to keep our drivers work- Kevin Iversen, Vice President
in. Traffic gets worse every year ing during the summer months. and Manager, Idaho Division
Report from Renville our equipment. I do thank our
RRV, Renville All in all, the 2021–2022 beet drivers for being patient. We are
From previous page campaign in Renville is going looking forward to the teardown
office as the RRV Admin Coor- well. We have been fortunate process and have done some
dinator. that our employee pool has ben- training prior to help us with
Nothing is confirmed yet, but efited us in keeping the trucks new operators.
we have multiple local summer moving. Thanks to the supervisors for
construction jobs in our sites We are finishing up the fresh thinking outide of the box and
when the last beets are hauled in beets and starting the teardown moving trucks around to keep
mid- to late May. We look for- process.The factory has had us ahead of the ballgame. I also
ward to keeping our employees some processing issues that we would like to thank Colleen and
on the job through the summer hope we can overcome in the Jeff for the hard work in the
months. upcoming months. office. Let’s all continue to have
Thanks to all of the Red River I do appreciate all the hard a safe operation to assure that
Valley’s stellar employees. Your work that our Renville team has we will go home each day to our
efforts are very much appreciat- done this campaign. Our Main- family and friends.
ed. tenance staff has been very busy Thank you.
Tracy Magnus, Vice President and has done an outstanding Craig LeLoux,
and Manager, Red River Valley job in attempting to maintain Renville Project Manager
16 TransTopix WINTER/SPRING 2022Maintenance team improves SMS scores
A
cross the board, a lot er’s documents only. plexity of our trucks.
of good things have At every stop, they weigh our While we are focused on SMS
been happening with truck and check licenses and scores companywide, we also
Transystems’ Mainte- registrations. have other irons in the fire in
nance Team. We could not be more thrilled Idaho. With very little lag time
Division Maintenance Manag- with the improvement in our between the beet campaign and
ers Jody Coombs and Dee Davis scores. We worked with the summer construction season,
deserve credit. DOT to make it happen. Dee and his crew are gearing
In the Red River Valley, Jody Improved Preventative Main- up to ensure that our equipment
and his crew have piled success tenance Inspections (PMIs) are moves seamlessly from one job
on top of success in the im- the cornerstone of any mainte- to the next.
provement of our Safety Man- nance success story. The team We want to make sure we have
agement System has done a great job of conduct- equipment ready for those sum-
(SMS) mainte- ing and improving inspections. mer jobs. Since Dee took over
nance scores. A We brought North Dakota the program in Idaho, he has
low score is good, DOT personnel into our shops really been working with devel-
and ours keeps twice to teach our techs what oping the techs and making sure
going down. the DOT is looking for when a we have the necessary parts on
As we are all truck is inspected. They taught hand to repair our tractors.
aware, the DOT our techs and quizzed them The supply chain shortage has
Troy
conducts random about what is and isn’t a viola- presented some real challenges,
checks when trucks go through a tion. It was great having them in and Dee has risen to them. His
scale house, and it’s vital to get our shops. We want the DOT to goal is to make sure we have the
clean inspections. A score below know that Transystems wants to right parts on the shelf whenever
80 is acceptable. Transystems’ do things the right way. We want needed.
score had dropped to the mid- to be a good neighbor. As the campaigns end or draw
60s earlier this campaign and is We are working to conduct near completion in Montana and
now down in the lower 50s. similar training with the Minne- Wyoming, I would like to thank
One of our maintenance goals sota DOT in the future. Randy Wareberg and the Central
this year was to lower our SMS Companywide, all our techs Division Maintenance staff for
score. Thanks to a lot of clean are now getting signed up for all the hard work they’ve put in
inspections in the Red River Val- professional employee develop- and continue to put in.
ley, we continue to do just that. ment training. We are kicking In Idaho, when Nampa wraps
There are two scales that our that off with a training program up, those techs will head to Twin
trucks run through often, and through our vendor, Meritor. Falls and Paul to help finish up
there are three levels of inspec- It’s a robust program. We also the season. There is a big push
tion from the DOT. are using our dealer network to on the Upper Snake River, and
Level 1 is an all-encompassing ramp up our tech training. we continue moving equipment
DOT inspection, complete with We are excited to finally get and techs around to support that
inspectors on creepers checking our training program the way operation.
the underside of the trucks. we always wanted it to be. And I am looking forward to work-
Level 2 is a check of the the techs are excited about it, ing with the entire team on our
driver’s documents and a walk- too. During the weekly calls, I off-season plan and construction.
around the truck doing a visual can hear their enthusiasm about Thanks for all the hard work.
inspection. growing their knowledge to keep Troy Carl,
Level 3 is a check of the driv- up with the ever-increasing com- Vice President of Maintenance
WINTER/SPRING 2022 TransTopix 17New technology keeps us safer on the road
A big part of safety is
what doesn't happen.
State-of-the-art equip-
ment makes accidents
not happen. Here are a few ex-
amples to prove my point.
again, showing things that didn’t
happen.
The second purpose is to help
our drivers improve their driv-
ing skills. All of us have habits
while driving, whether good or
place, drivers receive remind-
ers when they are engaging in a
driving habit that could lead to
certain losses. The camera also
gives managers an opportunity
to see what driving habits are
A new 2022 Freightliner bad. The camera can point out occurring and work with driv-
fulfilled its safety promise last something before some kind of ers to be safer on the road. This
December in Renville. event happens. We have helped helps us to be proactive and
Our driver was going about 40 many drivers improve their prevent losses.”
to 45 miles per hour in dense fog skills. The other side of the camera’s
when the truck rapidly started Several of our drivers have success story is the reactive side,
shifting down. been exonerated of fault because after a loss has occurred.
The driver could of the cameras. The examples Jake noted that the cameras
not see why. are plentiful. have exonerated drivers in every
“Then, sud- Last summer, another truck- division of our company.
denly I saw ing company claimed our driv- “The cameras have helped us
taillights,” he er came into their truck’s lane to find out what happened, how
recounted. “The and struck their unit’s mirror. we will address it in the present
truck saw the We went to the camera, and it and what we can do to prevent it
Rich stalled car before showed that our truck never left from reoccurring in the future,”
I did. I like that its lane. Jake added. “As we continue to
safety feature. It’s awesome!” We had another event that, if learn about the functions of the
Another tool that prevents not for the camera, our driver camera systems, we continue to
things from going wrong is the would have been cited. find new ways to improve safety
in-cab camera, which has the Another driver had a medical for everyone at Transystems.”
ability to focus on both the in- problem while driving. With- “In Idaho, I have seen events
side and outside of our trucks. out the camera, we would have where the camera system
The in-cab cameras were a thought something else hap- exonerated our driver,” Ryan
long time coming. We created pened in the cab. Because of the said. “Unfortunately, we are
a plan when we first decided to camera, we were able to help sometimes involved in situations
install the cameras to proceed this person, who is still em- where the actions of other driv-
slowly with some of the func- ployed by Transystems in anoth- ers put Transystems in situations
tions. Overall, the cameras have er position. where the cameras helped pro-
been accepted well. Division Safety Managers Jake tect our driver in many ways
And they are proven to work. Larson and Ryan Fiala have seen and really cut out any doubt.”
When visiting with one of our enough success with the cameras
He offered examples.
transportation attorneys, he said to back up our safety claims.
60 percent of his clients have “We all develop good and bad
“One late night/early morn-
cameras in their trucks. He feels habits over time in any activity ing, another vehicle came into
every trucking company should we take part in,” Jake said. “And our lane, and we were involved
have cameras for liability rea- when you consider the number in a head on collision,” Ryan
sons alone. of miles a truck driver puts in said. “The camera proved our
The first purpose of the cam- year to year, it’s no surprise driver was not at fault.”
eras is to exonerate our drivers some bad habits will form while
from other drivers’ mistakes, driving. With the cameras in See SAFETY, Next page
18 TransTopix WINTER/SPRING 2022Central Division admin manager on board
T ransystems’ Admin-
istration Team would
like to welcome Central
Division Administration
Manager Cynthia Hawley, soon
to be Hernandez.
industry, I intend
to learn first then
provide more
ideas and sup-
port to my team-
mates.”
“Before Transystems, I worked
in healthcare as an area direc-
tor,” she said. “Over the years, I
worked in a variety of capacities
with populations that included
patients with mental illnesses. It
Cynthia decided 2021 was the Cynthia’s tasks has been one of my greatest joys
year to try new things. So, she Cynthia include coordi- in life to see people engage and
got married, started a new job nating to ensure reenter society.”
and relocated to Billings. that all necessary paperwork is One challenge the California
“My husband, Ray Hernandez, in the system. It also includes native faces in her new job is
and I lived in California and providing support to coworkers traveling in the winter.
recently married,” Cynthia said. and teammates to make sure “I feel this is my biggest chal-
“We were seeking a fresh start they have everything they need lenge, along with learning all the
in a new place. I guess we were to be successful. pieces of my job,” she said.
ready for an adventure. So we “My day varies according She enjoys Transystems’ coor-
decided to move to people’s needs and special dinated teamwork.
to Billings.” projects,” Cynthia said. “Right “In one day, you can be
When Cynthia now, I am specifically working speaking with the company’s
packed her bags, with Kara Joyce on advertising vice presidents, the marketing
she also packed for Scottsbluff, Neb., and Fort director, company owners and
a great resume Morgan, Colo., our new beet drivers,” Cynthia noted. “The
and skill set that projects.” entire team is very dynamic and
landed her a new She finds her job rewarding. helpful in whatever challenges
Kari
position with “It is gratifying to be involved you might face.”
Transystems. in all aspects of a project,” she Cynthia grew up in Southern
“For the last 15 years, I have said. “I appreciate being able to California, attending college
worked in the medical field. One ask questions and bring concerns there. Her hobbies include cre-
of my primary functions was to to the conversations. It is re- ating pottery, swimming, long
provide support for retention, warding to feel heard.” nature walks and reading.
payroll, reports and grants,” she The rewards are different from Kari Franks,
said. “New to the transportation her previous position’s. Vice President Administration
on the interstate when another have seen with the cameras,”
Safety semi-tractor trailer merged into Ryan said. “The camera system
From previous page our unit. The other driver did really is a tool to help drivers
“Another situation where the not stop and left the scene. By realize or be shown behaviors
camera benefited a Transystems providing the camera footage they may not realize they are
driver was when another vehi- to law enforcement, we were engaging in. We also started
cle ran a stop sign and struck able to show exactly what had implementing the verbal alerts
our unit,” he added. “Camera occurred and the footage al- in the system during the cam-
footage clearly showed our lowed law enforcement to find paign to help alert a driver of
driver did nothing wrong. the other driver.” these habits.”
“One late afternoon, a Tran- “These are just a few exam- Rich Carl,
systems driver was traveling ples of occurrences that we Vice President of Safety
WINTER/SPRING 2022 TransTopix 19Sweet on sugar towns
Getting to know Scottsbluff, Fort Morgan
T here’s just something
about a sugar town.
In this new, occasional
series, “Sweet on Sug-
ar Towns,” we will explore the
sugar towns that Transystems
This is the first in a
new occasional series
highlighting the towns
downtown in Fort Morgan.
Seeing young, old and every
color of skin at the sugar facto-
ries. All are welcome.
Thriving small local business-
es with few big chain stores.
and its employees are part of. in which Transystems Community-oriented, many
Since signing on to haul sug- does business. events and fun things to do for
ar beets for Western Sugar’s all ages.
Scottsbluff and Fort Morgan ing us the lay of the land, a huge Many community activities,
factories, many Transystems welcome and setting up tours of from Christmas parades to
employees have gone to set up the area.” summer festivals including the
offices and meet the people they Among individuals singled Bob Stock music festival in Fort
will be working with during the out by the group were: Mike Morgan.
next campaign. Otto and Stewart Norish from Excellent restaurants serving
Among those who have trav- Western Sugar in Fort Morgan; local ethnic foods. The Mexican
eled to Nebraska and Colorado Jerry Darnell and Michael Ann food in Scottsbluff was fantastic.
are: President Errol Rice, Ida- Relka from Western Sugar in The Brussels sprouts at the
ho Division Manager and VP Scottsbluff; Fort Morgan Eco- Tangled Tumbleweed in Scotts-
Kevin Iversen, Vice President nomic Development Director bluff and The Mav in Fort Mor-
of Administration Kari Franks, Sandy Schneider-Engle; Josh gan were amazing.
Marketing Manager Kara Joyce, Gibbs from the Fort Morgan Job Scottsbluff has a tortilla facto-
Chairman of the Board Dan Rice Service; Pat Comfort and Lori ry.
and TransTopix Editor Jackie Marquez from the Scottsbluff Fort Morgan has a Mexican
Rice. Job Service; and Starr Lehl from ice cream shop.
Each of them found plenty to the Scottsbluff Economic Devel- Both towns are clean and safe.
love about the two towns. And, opment group. Tightly knit communities, ev-
to a person, the first thing men- The diversity of the communi- eryone knows each other.
tioned were the people of Fort ties drew praise and comment. Both towns have community
Morgan and Scottsbluff. Other things the visitors loved: colleges and are development
“One thing that struck me is Fort Morgan and Scottsbluff minded.
when you visit with the resi- are sugar towns with the diverse In Scottsbluff, the high school
dents, pretty much everyone in population brought in by the students have the opportunity for
town has worked at the sugar sugar factory. career exploration.
factory at one time or another,” Both towns depend on agricul- Local job services in Scotts-
Kevin said. “They have been in ture to sustain their economies. bluff and Fort Morgan are very
it all their lives. Once you are in The smell of sugar beets and active and ready to help new
the sugar industry, you stay.” feedlots everywhere. businesses be successful in any
Other Transystems visitors Fort Morgan’s brightly colored way they can.
commented on how friendly and homes that reflect residents’ The visitors felt right at home
helpful everyone was. Mexican heritage. in Scottsbluff and Fort Morgan.
“Everyone we met was very Flower shops and bakeries. “You knew where you were in
nice, helpful and welcoming,” Movie theaters like in the old the towns by looking up to the
Kari added. “The Western Sugar days. sky and seeing the steam from
folks have been so helpful, giv- Christmas music blasting in the sugar factory," Kari said.
20 TransTopix WINTER/SPRING 2022Sweet on sugar towns
A quick overview of our new communities
F ifteen thousand people
make their home in the
city of Scottsbluff in the
Nebraska Panhandle. The
13th largest city in Nebraska,
Scottsbluff is the retail center of
western Nebraska and eastern
Wyoming and offers abundant
lodging, dining and shopping
opportunities. Left, Dome Rock greets visitors to Scottsbluff. Right, an aerial
Scottsbluff is a regional hub view of charming Fort Morgan.
for business, employment, in-
dustry, retail trade, medical care, came through the area. Platte a frontier military fort in exis-
educational opportunities and River Basin Environments offers tence from 1864-1868.
tourism. Scottsbluff’s charm and thousands of acres of public By 1900, Fort Morgan was
convenience make it the perfect land for hunting, fishing, hiking, thriving with nine churches, a
place to live and work. There is biking, horseback riding, wild- Masonic lodge and a Chautau-
a little bit of everything for those flower and bird watching. Scenic qua lecture series.
who come to Scottsbluff. journeys to Scotts Bluff National The years between 1900 and
Denver, Colorado and Rapid Monument, Lake Minatare State 1920 were growth decades.
City, S.D., are within 200 miles Recreation Area, Wildcat Hills Jackson Lake, completed in
of Scottsbluff. The local airport State Recreation Area, Chimney 1905, was the first reservoir
helps visitors and business trav- Rock National Historic Site and finished and it was followed
elers make a smooth connection Museum await visitors. by others. Additional canals
to Denver International Airport. Western Nebraska Community were constructed, and the Great
Recreation and outdoor activ- College has a large network of Western Sugar Company built a
ities are abundant. The City of experts throughout the Panhan- factory in 1906.
Scottsbluff has 23 parks, includ- dle offering educational possibil- The town developed a city
ities. park and built a water works and
J
ing softball, baseball and soc-
cer complexes, a 10-plus mile an electric generation plant. By
walking and biking pathway, a ust 75 miles from Denver, 1920, Fort Morgan’s Main Street
downtown plaza, an RV park Fort Morgan’s 11,313 resi- was a well-established retail and
and a dog park. dents can experience all the business center serving as the
There are always great expe- big-city amenities – prox- seat of Northeastern Colorado’s
riences and events happening, imity to an international airport, Morgan County.
from annual events to sporting professional sporting events, There are plenty of educational
events, concerts and exploration. headliner concerts and profes- opportunities in Fort Morgan.
Among the popular annual sional theatre productions – and Morgan Community College is
events are the Father’s Day yet enjoy open space, a safe en- part of the Colorado community
Classic Car Rally, Oregon Trail vironment, affordable living and college system and offers more
Days, Sugar Valley Rally, Bands a non-congested lifestyle. than 80 areas of study for stu-
on Broadway and farmers mar- Fort Morgan’s roots are deep dents in its 11,500 square miles
kets. For those seeking adven- in Colorado. Built above the of service territory.
ture, the Historic Oregon Trail South Platte River, the town was And you can have fun in Fort
founded in 1884 and named after See SUGAR TOWNS, Next page
WINTER/SPRING 2022 TransTopix 21You can also read
