Kingston Wharf 75th Anniversary

NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 31 KINGSTON WHARVES 75TH ANNIVERSARY C ALVIN WATSON is still going strong after 33 years serving Kingston Wharves Limited’s (KWL) subsidiary Security Administrators Limited (SAL). Retiring in 2018, he was re-en- gaged on contract to SAL. Mr. Watson is the recipient of a Special Recognition Award, as part of KWL’s 75th Anniversary celebrations. “I was working in security on the wharves from the 1970s. Back in those days, SAL was not as we know it today. It was a department of the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ), and that was where I was em- ployed in the early days,”Mr. Watson explained. SAL was established in September 1987 by the three wharf compa- nies operating in Kingston at the time – KingstonWharves, Kingston Container Terminal and Western Terminal. It became a subsidiary of Kingston Wharves Limited (KWL) in 2000. A new partnership de- veloped in 2002, and SAL is now owned jointly by KWL and the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ). The Company has been the lead- ing provider of maritime security and related services in Jamaica and the Caribbean for over two decades, and has become an integral part of the local shipping industry. SAL is the main security provider at Port Bustamante, offering specialist anti-narcotics security services on vessels. It also serves other ports outside of Kingston as required. SAL also provides services in CCTV monitoring, security management consultancy, port facility security assessments and security planning. Mr Watson joined SAL and KWL in October 1987 as a Security Co-ordinator. In 1999, he was promoted to Senior Security Coordinator. In 2003,his title was changed to Security Supervisor. He later received another promotion – this time in 2006 to the position of Senior Security Supervisor. In September 1, 2010, Mr. Watson was elevated to his present position of Assistant Operations Manager. His primary responsibilities entail ensuring SAL has the necessary se- curity officers in place to cover all assigned locations on the Port of Kingston, while further making sure that the assigned security officers do their jobs effectively. Mr Watson has also been part of the robust anti-narcotics team on the Port of Kingston, working to prevent and detect contraband from being shipped on board ves- sels. “I am happy I was able to play a role in preventing the smuggling of contraband for several decades,” he said. Mr Watson expressed pride at being a part of the KWL and SAL team for so many years. “The com- pany is a great one and I am really proud to be a member. I am also very grateful to the management for giving me the opportunity to be elevated throughout my 33 years of service to the company,” he said, adding that Kingston Wharves helped him to develop academically. Captain George Reynolds, Managing Director of SAL has hailed Mr. Watson for his service. “Mr. Watson is loyal and dedicated; these are the qualities I admire about him the most. These principles come through in how he carries out his key functions and interacts with his team members,” he stated. Mr. Watson continues to give of his best, even 33 years later, and shows no sign of slowing down any time soon. Calvin Watson at work. CALVIN WATSON A man for all seasons