Bogalusa, Louisiana once was called the Magic City due to how quickly the city was constructed, in just one short year, to house the workers at the local sawmill. That was back in 1908, but there must still be some magic left there, as the Team at Watco’s Bogalusa Bayou Railroad (BBAY) has had zero reportable injuries since its startup two years ago.
Today, it’s a paper plant in the town of approximately 13,400 that is the town’s largest employer. The BBAY Team of 12 serves three divisions at the mill. Two crews work 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, seven days a week serving the board mill, the craft mill, and the box plant. Their primary task: bringing in empty railcars and then delivering loaded cars to the Class 1 railroad, Canadian national.
“We have a lot of good team members that enjoy being here, and we’ve built a strong safety culture. They take a lot of pride in what they do and take safety seriously,” said BBAY General Manager Brit Sonnier.
Congratulations, BBAY, and thanks for helping Watco put #SafetyFirst.
#