[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 59 (Monday, April 8, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2636-S2637]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Tribute to Rick Webb

  Mr. MORAN. Madam President, I rise today to recognize Watco Executive 
Chairman Rick Webb, who recently was inducted into the American Short 
Line and Regional Railroad Association's Short Line Hall of Fame.
  Watco is a transportation and supply chain service company 
headquartered in Pittsburg, KS, with a 40-year legacy of excellence in 
industrial transportation. Rick Webb has been, and continues to be, an 
integral part of that legacy.
  Rick's father, Dick Webb, founded the company in 1983, and Rick began 
working on the Watco team while he was finishing his degree at the 
local Pittsburg State University.
  He joined the family business full time after graduating in 1984, 
taking on a diverse portfolio of responsibilities including operations, 
marketing, hiring personnel, and raising capital.
  In 1987, Watco purchased its first short line to primarily serve its 
own railcar repair shop. In 1998, Webb became Watco's chief executive 
officer, taking the reins from his father. After two decades of service 
as Watco's chief executive, Rick turned over leadership to Dan Smith 
and took on the role of executive chairman, where he continues to 
steward the growth of the business and the family's customer-first 
model of service.

[[Page S2637]]

  Rick Webb has been with Watco from the beginning, and during his 
tenure with the company, it has grown from one facility to more than 
190 locations operating in four countries. That growth is in no small 
part due to Rick Webb's leadership.
  Rick is the kind of person you want to follow. He is the kind of 
person you can always take at his word. When I think about what it 
means to be a Kansan--a person of good character, strong integrity, 
authenticity--Rick is that person.
  But I cannot talk about Rick's character without recognizing the 
person who played a tremendous role in shaping him. Kaye Lynne Webb, 
his mom, helped build Watco and raised a son of the highest caliber. 
She is an amazing woman and an integral part of the Webb family and the 
company.
  Knowing Rick and the quality of his character, I was pleased to learn 
that he was inducted into the American Short Line and Regional Railroad 
Association's Hall of Fame on March 25, 2024.
  An article in the Pittsburg Morning Sun notes that the American Short 
Line and Regional Railroad Association established this award in 2020 
to acknowledge ``visionaries and stars who through their dedication, 
commitment and achievement best exemplify the qualities of innovation, 
entrepreneurialism, perseverance and service that have advanced the 
short line railroad industry.'' Rick has met and continues to exceed 
this standard.
  The same article highlighted the current Watco CEO Dan Smith's praise 
of Rick for his consistency as a leader. The article included the 
following description of Rick by Smith:

       He's truly a great man. I would say that he's the best 
     teammate I've ever had; he's the best coach I've ever had; 
     he's the best friend I've had.

  Throughout his time at Watco, Rick has been driven by an unrelenting 
desire to serve the best team possible to serve customers in the best 
manner. Rick has carried with him the belief that if you want to learn 
how to grow the top line, you listen to your customer, and if you want 
to learn how to grow the bottom line, you listen to your team.
  Rick's business knowledge and Kansas work ethic have earned him many 
accolades over the years, including being named the 2010 Ernst & Young 
Entrepreneur of the Year in the Central Midwest Region and winning the 
2022 Railroad Innovator Award from Progressive Railroading magazine.
  In addition to Rick's induction into the American Short Line Hall of 
Fame, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association has 
honored Watco with the Veterans Engagement Award for their dedication 
to veteran recruitment.
  I want to congratulate Rick and the entire Watco team on their 
successful accomplishments and achievements. It is certainly nice to 
have a great businessman and a great business in Kansas called Watco, 
but even better, it is great to have a person of Rick's caliber, his 
character, and his interest in the community.
  Many towns the size of Pittsburg, KS, and many communities in Kansas, 
generally, have a set of people who are always involved in whatever 
good happens in the community. Rick Webb and his family have been 
consistent in their support for the Pittsburg and Southeast Kansas 
communities and for their support for Pittsburg State University.
  I look forward to seeing their business continue to flourish as they 
fulfill the mission of serving their customers, their employees, and 
elevating the standard for short line railroads for Kansas, our Nation, 
and the world. But I especially thank him for being the kind of person 
he is and how much difference he makes in Pittsburg, in Kansas, in the 
country, and the world.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.
  Ms. DUCKWORTH. I ask unanimous consent that the scheduled vote begin 
immediately.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.