Consider this: how many people does it take to maintain a 1,500-acre property that includes not only a marina and an airport, but industrial sites and tenants? You might imagine that a crew of at least 12 would be necessary to handle multiple tasks from fencing and building maintenance to communicating with the Federal Aviation Administration and managing storm water treatment facilities. But you’d be wrong.
At the Port of Shelton, the correct answer is three.
Photo credit: Port of Shelton
You heard that right. Just three people and a manager take care of the entire property, including any weather-related problems that occur and tenant needs that arise. “To have a crew that size managing the 1,500 acres and running an operation like the Port with very differing properties is amazing,” says Port Executive Director Wendy Smith. “They just handle things, whether it’s a lightbulb that’s out in a hangar or dealing with storm damage. They work like a crew of twelve, which means they’re three times as efficient.”
With a complex property like the Port, crew members need to be both flexible and creative in how they solve problems. An abbreviated list of their responsibilities includes roofing, fencing, mowing & trimming, forest management, daily pavement inspections at the airport, maintaining and replacing airport lighting and reflectors, daily inspections at the marina, and water system and short-line rail maintenance and management.
They also need to possess a formidable skillset and the ability to change course on a dime. Everyone on the crew, including Maintenance and Environmental Supervisor Al Frey, may be called on to do anything from janitorial work to highly technical jobs. “I look at work ethic more than anything else,” says Frey about the people he has hired to work at the Port. “Are you willing to learn and do whatever it takes to get the job done? That’s not something that can be taught.”
Managing properties so diverse in nature requires constant communication with local, state and federal agencies for permitting, certifications, licensing, and public notifications. Frey remembers a day they were working at the marina when a pilot set his plane down without activating the landing gear. “The plane ended up sideways,” he says. “We had to secure the area until the authorities from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration could come.”
Every day brings something different for the crew, especially during winter. After one of Washington’s famous windstorms, the crew discovered that the storm had done some extreme damage to the northern float at the Port’s marina. As they were starting to tie floats together to keep them from drifting away, they learned that a section of roof on one of their buildings miles away at the airport had also blown off. “We had to cut the crew in half,” says Frey. “It’s kind of a crapshoot like that every day.”
Each morning the crew meets to discuss what’s on the docket for the day. The agenda may include building docks and installing the underwater bracing that supports them; doing damage control at the marina; roofing; replacing and fixing rail spur; creating stormwater ponds; or preventing pipes from freezing during winter months. And, on any given day the agenda can change dramatically due to an emergency or environmental problem. “Every day is like a game of chess,” says Frey. “You move your first pawn and then you see what happens.”
The crew is also in regular contact with the Port’s commercial tenants, especially during the winter months when weather can create additional challenges. “We work really closely with the front office,” says Frey. “I try to meet with all the tenants and let them know they can reach out to us at any time of day and we will try to fix their problem.” Those may range from leaking roofs causing equipment damage to frozen water pipes and more.
The work is challenging but satisfying and watching the public enjoy the property is icing on the cake. “I see groups walking and people pushing their kids in strollers here,” says Frey. “It’s important to us that people who are driving up the highway have a good feeling about this place as they’re going by.”
Smith gives full credit to the crew for the public’s image of the Port. “What they provide in their service every day completes the picture of this property,” she says. “It’s a beautiful piece of ground because of what they do. They make my job easy.”
To learn more, visit the about the Port of Shelton website, or call 360-426-1151.
Sponsored
