Welcome to Lynden News!

Lynden is recognizing employees who make a difference every day on the job and demonstrate our core values, Lynden's very own everyday heroes! Employees are nominated by managers and supervisors from all roles within the Lynden family of companies.

Introducing Gayle Adams, Senior Payroll Specialist at Lynden in Seattle, Washington.



Name: Gayle Adams

Company: Lynden Inc.

On the Job Since: 1986

Title: Senior Payroll Specialist

Superpower: Customer Service

Hometown: Vancouver, B.C.

Favorite Movie: Under the Tuscan Sun

Bucket List Destination: New Zealand

For Fun: Walking on nature trails and the beach, photography, wine tasting, gardening and going to sporting events.

How and when did you start working for Lynden? Have you worked for or done projects with other Lynden companies?
My neighbor Kitty Samuel (former VP/Controller) mentioned to me that Lynden Inc. had a position open for a part-time filing clerk, which was perfect while attending college in 1986. Almost 35 years later, I have had experience in all the accounting department processes so I have been able to support most of the Lynden companies with various projects and responsibilities. I have been processing payroll for Lynden Logistics, Lynden Puerto Rico and Lynden Air Cargo for 25 years and Lynden Transport now for 10 years so I feel like I actually work for those companies specifically.

What is a typical day like for you?
Processing payroll is pretty much a set schedule and consistent deadlines, so I always know what to expect when I start my workday. Today I mostly gather, audit and review payroll records for payment processing. In addition, I provide documentation for various projects and data reporting.

What has been most challenging in your career?
I’ve been through multiple payroll, timekeeping and accounting implementations and upgrades, so learning how to use new software is always a challenge. Lynden has been really good at keeping up with the latest technology so that it has made our jobs so much easier and efficient.

What are you most proud of in your career?
How I am easily able to adapt to changes and additional responsibilities in my job.

Can you tell us about your family and growing up years?
I was born in Vancouver B.C., and moved to Prince Rupert B.C., back to Vancouver, then finally settled in the Seattle area when I was 10. I have a younger sister, half brother and sister. From age 12 to 17 I was on a drill team, and we got to travel to a lot of the western states. After high school, I met my late husband and raised three wonderful children (two daughters and a son) which kept us quite busy.

What was your first job?
McDonalds. Hosting birthday parties was the highlight of my job there.

What would surprise most people about you?
Recently I have been going for rides/trips on a motorcycle. I can be very subdued and not much of a risk taker, so this would probably surprise people the most.

How do you spend your time outside of work?
Due to isolation and working from home, I have been tackling small DIY projects and a lot of re-organizing around the house. In the warmer months I try to spend as much time outdoors, going for walks, small road trips, gardening and going to my son’s baseball games.

What do you like best about your job?
Definitely all of the great people I work with.

Lynden is recognizing employees who make a difference every day on the job and demonstrate our core values, Lynden's very own everyday heroes! Employees are nominated by managers and supervisors from all roles within the Lynden family of companies.

Introducing Don Werhonig, Instructor/HSSE Manager at Alaska West Express/Lynden Training Center in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Name: Don Werhonig

Company: Alaska West Express/Lynden Training Center

Title: Instructor/HSSE Manager

On the Job Since: 2013

Superpower: Ability to make complex information understandable to all

Hometown: Harlowton, MT

Favorite Movie: Megamind

Bucket List Destination: Thailand

For Fun: Lots of outdoor stuff and Taekwondo with my kids

How and when did you start working for Alaska West Express/Lynden Training Center? Have you worked for or done projects with other Lynden companies?
I went to work for Alaska West Express in 2013. Before that, I did some emergency response work and training instruction for the company as a contractor. As for how, I had worked with employees of Alaska West starting in 2001, which turned into lifelong friendships. I had an understanding of Lynden and the way they treat their employees and their operating philosophy, so I jumped at the chance to come to work for AWE.

What is a typical day like for you?
My days vary. If I am teaching a class, it is pretty much in the classroom or out on the training ground for the day. If I am not training, I am answering questions for AWE, developing training, or working on AWE programs. Basically, at my workstation unless I can escape and get outside.

What has been most challenging in your career?
Maintaining the status of an expert of subject matter in everything we do. I have to know Department of Transportation (DOT) compliance, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), plus all the emergency response stuff like firefighting, rescue, medical, and hazmat response. It is hard sometimes to keep up with changing regulations and standards.

What are you most proud of in your career?
This is an easy question to answer. I am proud of all the people I have offered professional development to. I understand that professionally developing our work force and clients is a great responsibility and one I don’t take lightly. But knowing I can develop people to make better decisions or respond to bad situations is incredibly satisfying. The goal would be to develop someone’s skills and knowledge until they are better than I am.

Can you tell us about your family and growing up years?
I grew up on a ranch in Montana. With a saddle horse and a dirt bike, I didn’t spend much time at home. I eventually joined the Army to get out of Montana and start my own life. This also probably kept me from going to jail as I was a “work hard, play even harder” ranch kid and made some not so great decisions in my youth.

What was your first job?
My first real job was changing irrigation pipe twice a day for a neighboring rancher. I worked about four hours each pipe change and made a whopping $0.08 per pipe I moved, for a grand total of about $33 a day.

 What would surprise most people about you?
That I am very compassionate and a very nice person with a giant bleeding heart. I am very outgoing but with a very serious look on my face all the time, so people are probably surprised to find out who I really am.

How do you spend your time outside of work?
Outdoor activities when the Alaska winter life is not working me to death. My kids and I love shooting, hunting, and camping. In the winter our primary activity is a martial arts class that we have been doing for the last few months.

What do you like best about your job?
I like working with our customers to see how they operate in different industries and the challenges they face.

Lynden is recognizing employees who make a difference every day on the job and demonstrate our core values, Lynden's very own everyday heroes! Employees are nominated by managers and supervisors from all roles within the Lynden family of companies.

Introducing Saul Najo, Driver at Alaska West Express in Tacoma, Washington.
Name: Saul Najo

Company: Alaska West Express

Title: Driver

On the Job Since: 2018

Superpower: Flexibility

Hometown: Tacoma

Favorite Movie: The Fast and the Furious

Bucket List Destination: Rio de Janeiro

For Fun: Leisurely rides on my motorcycle

How and when did you start working for Alaska West Express? Have you worked for or done projects with other Lynden companies?
I started working for Alaska West Express shortly after working for LTI, Inc. for four months hauling containers to and from various customers in and around the Seattle-Tacoma area. Once a week I would go to Grandview in Eastern Washington to a Walmart Distribution Center. I enjoyed driving for LTI, Inc., however what I really enjoy is hauling heavy construction equipment as I did that while I was in the military.

One day I met Craig Conner, a driver from Alaska West Express, while waiting in line at Alaska Marine Lines, and we shared stories about what I did before trucking. He kept smiling and asked me where I lived. I told him I live in Lakewood, WA (near Tacoma). “And you work in Seattle?” he said. He proceeded to tell me that he knew of an opportunity I would really love. He called his boss and then told me “my boss wants you to give him a call.” I made the call, and two weeks later I started working with Alaska West Express doing what is in my blood! Hauling everything from a mini excavator to equipment as big as a crane.

What is a typical day like for you?
A typical day for me at Alaska West Express is normally an eight-hour day in support of various customers. Whether it’s a flatbed full of drilling equipment, or a machine that needs to be transported to a job site or the barge.

What has been most challenging in your career?
The most challenging aspect is dealing with folks out on the road that don’t respect driving distances for tractors and trailers. However, being patient and diligent and paying attention to everything that is going on in front and all around me, is what helps me get through my day while out on the road.

What are you most proud of in your career?
I am proud of my work. Sometimes I stand back and observe something that I have transported or built, and I say to myself “I did that.”

Can you tell us about your family and growing up years?
My family is from Salvadoran descent. My childhood years were spent with my grandparents. They did their best to provide for me while my parents attempted to migrate to the United States in the early 1980s. My mother succeeded and became a U.S. resident. My father did not make it and was killed in El Salvador when I was four years old. I eventually made it to the U.S. with my mother’s help. I attended junior high and high school in Los Angeles. Shortly thereafter, I joined the Army and made it a 22 ½-year-long career earning my first retirement at the age of 42. While in the Army I met my wife, Herbina, who was also an active duty soldier. We got married and raised three beautiful children.

What was your first job?
My first job was detailing cars. It was a short-term job while waiting to ship out to basic training for the Army in 1995.

What would surprise most people about you?
Most people are very surprised when I tell them how old I am. It makes me feel good and assures me that I have taken pretty good care of myself throughout the years. I am 45 years old.

How do you spend your time outside of work?
Outside of work, I spend my time with my wife. On sunny days we are exploring Mount Rainier trails, or enjoying the wind on our faces riding my motorcycle.

What do you like best about your job?
What I like best about my job is the diversity of what we do. For instance, we don’t come to work and do the same repetitive workday in and day out, such as dropping a trailer or sitting at a dock waiting to have someone else load you. I love that we have to think and be creative when building loads, securing equipment, loading and unloading equipment. Best of all, I get to go out of town often. It helps to break out of the monotony of being in town every day.

Lynden is recognizing employees who make a difference every day on the job and demonstrate our core values, Lynden's very own everyday heroes! Employees are nominated by managers and supervisors from all roles within the Lynden family of companies.

Introducing Billy West, Mechanic at Lynden Oilfield Services in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.
Name: Billy West

Company: Lynden Oilfield Services

Title: Mechanic

On the Job Since: 2003

Superpower: Ability to motivate

Hometown: Payson, UT

Favorite Movie: Tombstone

Bucket List Destination: New Zealand Red Stag Hunt

For Fun: Travel with my family

How and when did you start working for Alaska West Express? Have you worked for or done projects with other Lynden companies?
I started with Alaska West in Anchorage in 2003. They gave me a job as a yard helper and I soon moved into the shop as a mechanic. I got sent up to Prudhoe Bay in 2017 to take on a challenge that would change my career with Alaska West Express. It was the challenge of driving Lynden's low ground pressure tractor, the Tundra Bear, from Prudhoe Bay to Barrow.

What is a typical day like for you?
A typical day usually involves accomplishing my own tasks and helping others get their to-dos accomplished.

What has been most challenging in your career?
I would say people. Working in the shop and managing people over my career with Lynden. They can be so alike, but yet so different and you have the challenge of figuring them out.

What are you most proud of in your career?
I’m proud of the strong working crew and the support the company offers to its employees to keep them motivated and always moving forward.

Can you tell us about your family and growing up years?
I grew up on a small farm in Utah. I had the most amazing father that taught me everything I would grow up to become. I met my wonderful high school sweetheart at 16 and moved to Alaska. We now have 5 fantastic kids together.

What was your first job?
My first job was at Mountain Country Foods. They made dog treats, and I got the liberty of emptying the trash cans and sweeping the floors every night after school.

What would surprise most people about you?
My helping and willing attitude! Lots of people comment that I’m the happiest mechanic they have ever met!

How do you spend your time outside of work?
All of my time is spent with my family. We enjoy anything and everything that is and can be done outside. Alaska offers a lot of outside opportunity.

What do you like best about your job?
I like the fact that I get to walk away every workday feeling accomplished. We get to see our accomplishments and others’ ideas put into play to better a working environment or to better a project.

Lynden is recognizing employees who make a difference every day on the job and demonstrate our core values, Lynden's very own everyday heroes! Employees are nominated by managers and supervisors from all roles within the Lynden family of companies.

Introducing Ned Arthur, Equipment Operator at Knik Construction in Alaska.



Name: Neil (Ned) Arthur

Company: Knik Construction

Title: Equipment Operator

On the Job Since: 1989

Superpower: Paving Pro

Hometown: Searsboro, Iowa

Favorite Movie: Roadhouse

Bucket List Destination: Italy

For Fun: Halibut fishing on his boat, smoking meat, and spending time with his 12 grandchildren

How and when did you start working for Lynden?
I worked at Harley's Trucking and Polar Paving, which later became Roadbuilders, a big outfit in Anchorage, and Quality Asphalt before I was hired by Jim Kirsch at Knik. Jim was a great guy and we had a lot of fun. In 1989 when I was first hired, we were working in Skagway right on the ocean. We had a big dock down there and an ore terminal. Yukon Alaska Transport was a new company to truck lead and zinc ore from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, to Skagway for loading on ships at the port. Knik bought its first asphalt plant and we paved around the terminal so it was easier to get the trucks in for ship loading. Jim, Lyle and Dale Kirsch were all people I worked with.

What is a typical day like for you?
If it's spring or summer I'm at work somewhere where Knik has projects going on. If it's winter I'm home. We work until it's so cold you can't work anymore or until snow makes paving too difficult. There have been times that I've had so many layers on that I can barely stand up!

Lately I've been working at the gravel pit. We have an asphalt plant set up there, and I run a loader when we're making asphalt. We usually make between 800 to 5,000 tons in a day and it comes out at 350 degrees. One day we had 35 belly dump trucks coming through from Anchorage and they went 80 miles to Homer.

I live in Sterling, AK in a log home we bought in 1986. A friend of mine sold it to me and what is now our living room was the original cabin. We put on a foundation, a loft and basement.

What has been most challenging in your career?
Working around heavy equipment you have to be alert. When loading and unloading barges you need to stay clear of booms and keep your eyes open. You can get hit if you don't know where you need to be. Also, in all the places we've traveled for projects, you never know what's coming. You have to adjust to different places, people and climates. Also, the climate can be tough. You're either cooking or freezing!

What are you most proud of in your career?
The Wake Island and Guantanamo projects. My wife Connie spent six seasons in Guantanamo Bay with me while we were working on that project. We were awarded the bid to do the runway, which was built on a big rock pile with cliffs all around it. It worked out well.

Can you tell us about your family and growing up years?
I grew up in Iowa, one of six kids in my family. I have an older brother and sister and two younger brothers and one younger sister. My dad was killed in a train accident when I was in sixth grade, so my mom had to raise us. We did everything we could to help my mom, and her parents helped too. My older brother moved to Alaska, so in 1977 I came up to check it out and never left.

I knew Connie from Iowa. She had two boys and worked at a restaurant that my mom managed in Grinnell. You could say my mom played matchmaker. We got married in Iowa then drove up the Alcan when her boys were about 9 and 10. We drove her Pontiac TransAm. We flew the boys up and they stayed with us in summers and went back down to Iowa for the school year. We had two daughters in Alaska, and now we have 12 grandchildren between all the kids.

What was your first job?
I worked at a filling station, pumping gas and changing oil when I was in high school. Once I graduated, I worked at a farm equipment manufacturing place for a couple of years. I was on an assembly line building pug mills that grind corn into animal feed.

What would surprise most people about you?
I took home a souvenir from a job site. I found a dead walrus on the beach near Platinum, AK. I decided to take it home to display the tusks in my house. I had to soak the skull to remove all the debris to get to the walrus teeth and tusks. My wife thought it was pretty strange, but I had the tusks mounted on a piece of walnut and it looks really good. One of the grandkids worshipped the walrus tusks.

How do you spend your time outside of work?
I'm always on the go. I don't like to sit around. When I'm in Knik's off-season during the winter months, I watch some of the grandkids. They range from age 2 to 15. I also like to watch football – the Minnesota Vikings are my favorite team. I've always liked them from the time I lived in Iowa. I also like to cook BBQ meat on my Traeger smoker and take my 22-foot boat out fishing with buddies from work.

I also have a 38' by 28'-foot shop where I like to work on car restoration projects. I have a Ford Ranger XLT pickup that I bought new in 1976 and drove in Iowa. It only has 100,000 miles, and I don't take it out here unless it's dry weather. It's kind of a hobby. I've had Camaros, Chevelles and Novas. My first car was a 1955 Chevy Bel-Air, red with a white top, that I bought from my brother. I had it for about 10 years then bought a 68 Chevelle. I've had a lot of cars over the years.

What do you like best about your job?
It's nice to look at something you helped to build and know it will be there for a long time.

Lynden is recognizing employees who make a difference every day on the job and demonstrate our core values, Lynden's very own everyday heroes! Employees are nominated by managers and supervisors from all roles within the Lynden family of companies. Learn more about the people behind your shipment.

Introducing Rudy Dacumos, Warehouse Lead at Lynden Logistics in Anchorage, Alaska.



Name: Rudy Dacumos

Company: Lynden Logistics

Title: Warehouse Lead

On the Job Since: 1995

Superpower: Solving problems

Hometown: Tarlac, Philippines

Favorite Movie: Die Hard

Bucket List Destination: Tahiti

For Fun: Travel and spending time with family

How and when did you start working for Lynden?
An old boss at my previous employer transferred to Lynden, and he suggested I apply. He said it was a great company to work for. I've been at Lynden since September 1995.

What is a typical day like for you?
I assist with receiving shipments and loading and unloading the airplanes. As a lead, I am always motivating my team and keeping our spirits high. It is very important for me to make sure my team succeeds and enjoys being at work.

What has been most challenging in your career?
Sometimes it is challenging dealing with upset customers because it makes our job difficult. However, when we have happy customers and develop a strong relationship with them, it is probably the most rewarding part of the job.

What are you most proud of in your career?
When I started at Lynden, I was a Warehouse Representative and I worked my way up to becoming a Lead which took a lot of dedication and hard work.

Can you tell us about your family and growing up years?
I was born and raised in Tarlac, Philippines. I am the second youngest of five siblings. I have one brother and three sisters. My family came from the Philippines to Kodiak, AK in March 1980. I am very family oriented and I worked hard to make sure my sisters were able to attend college to become registered nurses. While I was in Kodiak, I met my late wife Jean and we have three wonderful children (one son and two daughters) and four amazing grandchildren.

What was your first job?
My first job was in Kodiak, AK at the cannery processing seafood.

What would surprise most people about you?
I love to bake and cook. My wife and I owned a bakery/restaurant in downtown Anchorage.

How do you spend your time outside of work?
Outside of work I enjoy playing with my daughter's puppy, Yoshi, fishing, cooking and traveling. I try to visit my son and his family in Salt Lake City and my daughter in Las Vegas as much as I can.

What do you like best about your job?
There are many things I like best about my job, it is hard to choose just one. I enjoy coming to work because of the team. Everyone is friendly and we work well together. I also enjoy meeting the customers and building a professional relationship with them. It is very important for me to gain customers' trust. Last but not least, Lynden is a great company to work for. Lynden offers great benefits and opportunities to grow with the company.

Lynden is recognizing employees who make a difference every day on the job and demonstrate our core values, Lynden's very own everyday heroes! Employees are nominated by managers and supervisors from all roles within the Lynden family of companies. Learn more about the people behind your shipment.

Introducing Brian Zweegman, Welder/Fitter at Lynden Tank Company in Lynden, Washington.

Name: Brian Zweegman

Company: Lynden Tank

Title: Welder/Fitter

On the Job Since: 1995

Superpower: Exceptional memory

Hometown: Lynden, WA

Favorite Movie: The Bourne Ultimatum

Bucket List Destination: Alaska and Holland

For Fun: Attending my kids’ sporting events and activities, RV camping, traveling and trap shooting

How and when did you start working for Lynden?
I started working at Lynden Tank in March of 1995 when I was 17 years old. The Mt. Baker Rotary Club had a job shadow program and Guy Jansen, who is a member of the Rotary, brought me to the tank shop as part of that program. I was given a job that same day. At one point, I drove for Milky Way for about a year, and I also drove for LTI, Inc. for about a year and did maintenance. I have done many projects through the tank shop for various other Lynden companies.

What is a typical day like for you?
On a typical day, I start work at 6 a.m. and work until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. No two days are exactly the same. Some days I am running a press brake, bending up components used for manufacturing milk tanks. Other days I could be inspecting a coded/chemical trailer or welding up components or doing a final inspection before a new set of milk tanks hits the road. There are some days that I do a bit of it all. My daily tasks depend on what is needed and what is a priority for the company.

What has been most challenging in your career?
Currently, our biggest challenge is navigating through material shortages and delays in getting the supplies that we need to build a quality product that meets our high standards. Personally, one of my challenges on the job is that I am color blind so I cannot do any wiring.

What are you most proud of in your career?
Every time we turn out a new set of trailers, I think we (all the tank shop employees) are proud of the work we put into them. When I am traveling in Washington or Idaho or beyond and I see a set of trailers I am proud that I had a small part in building them.

Can you tell us about your family and growing up years?
I grew up north of Lynden on a dairy farm that my parents still run today. My two brothers, my sister and myself all went to school locally, and we all still reside within 30 minutes of the family farm. Growing up, I was very active in the Lynden High School Future Farmers of America (FFA) and spent a lot of time working on Ag (Agriculture) mechanic projects in our school shop. I won various awards for these projects and also my tractor driving skills at both the state and national levels.
Today I still live in Lynden with my two kids. My son Case is a senior at Lynden High School and plays football and baseball. My daughter Maddie is a sophomore at Lynden Christian High School where she plays fastpitch and is involved in FFA.

What was your first job?
As a child of a dairy farmer, my very first job was on the family farm. When I was 11 years old I fed bull calves for a neighbor which was my first job off the family farm.

What would surprise most people about you?
I think a lot of people would be surprised to know that underneath my somewhat rough exterior I am a bit of a softie who wears my heart on my sleeve.

How do you spend your time outside of work?
When I’m not at Lynden Tank or watching my kids’ sports and activities I still work on my parents’ farm doing maintenance and crop harvest. When time allows, I like to take my travel trailer to new locations and explore new areas.

What do you like best about your job?
The first and most important thing that I like about working at Lynden Tank is my boss Len Kilmer. He is fair and honest, and he creates a great environment for us to work in. A very close second is the entire tank shop crew. They make coming to work fun, and I enjoy working with them all. I also like that no two days are ever the same which keeps things fresh. Very early on in my career with Lynden I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Mr. Hank Jansen. Those times produced great memories which I will never forget.

Lynden is recognizing employees who make a difference every day on the job and demonstrate our core values, Lynden's very own everyday heroes! Employees are nominated by managers and supervisors from all roles within the Lynden family of companies. Learn more about the people behind your shipment.

Introducing Jerry Crisp, Regional Maintenance Manager at LTI, Inc. in Sunnyside, Washington.

Name: Jerry Crisp

Company: LTI, Inc.

Title: Regional Maintenance Manager

On the Job Since: 1992

Superpower: Imparting important knowledge to the team

Hometown: Yakima, WA

Favorite Movie: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Bucket List Destination: Going to Florida to visit my brother that I haven’t seen in 12 years, traveling through the U.S. and holing up when I find a place with 80-degree weather year-round.

For Fun: Spending time with family and friends and traveling

How and when did you start working for Lynden?
I started in Sunnyside on Dec. 2, 1992. I was informed about the mechanic position opening by a friend that worked for LTI, Inc. I was looking forward to going from a small one-man shop working 24/7 to a shop that had a crew of three others to share the workload. Then eight years later, I was in the manager position overseeing six mechanics and four wash bay techs.

What is a typical day like for you?
Very unpredictable! I don’t think a day has gone by where the day went as I planned without a hiccup at some point. But I actually think I prefer it that way – it adds variety to the day.

What has been most challenging in your career?
The most challenging is trying to be ahead of operations in getting prepared for harvest and winter-time challenges. We have equipment that sits idle until we need it for the local harvest, and then we start prepping it about a month ahead of time. Winters are very unpredictable, so you have to be ready for the worst-case scenario.

What are you most proud of in your career?
Being able to finish out my career at LTI, Inc. To put in so many years in at one company is very rewarding.

Can you tell us about your family and growing up years?
My family consists of my siblings, two sisters and two brothers, I am second to the youngest. I think most of my childhood memories come from living in Nile River north Naches, WA. It was the best place to grow up, fishing, swimming in the river and climbing the mountains was the best you could ask for.

What was your first job?
My first job was pumping gas at Eagle Rock in Nile (now it’s called the Woodshed). Hunting season was the busy time of the year with all of the hunters coming to get gas and food. They would throw their keys at you and say fill it up and park it for me. I guess I looked older than I was then!

What would surprise most people about you?
Well, I have never been arrested, and I’m a nice guy!

How do you spend your time outside of work?
I spend most of my time thinking about work, but I see that changing in the near future.

What do you like best about your job?
It has to be the people. We have such a variety of people – office staff, drivers, mechanics, yard crew and wash bay. A lot of them are either fathers, daughters, brothers, sons, uncles or cousins to one another. It is nice to work with all of the different generations of families.

Lynden is recognizing employees who make a difference every day on the job and demonstrate our core values, Lynden's very own everyday heroes! Employees are nominated by managers and supervisors from all roles within the Lynden family of companies. Learn more about the people behind your shipment.

Introducing Gordy Lindblad, Facilities Maintenance Manager at Alaska Marine Lines in Seattle, Washington.

Name: Gordy Lindblad

Company: Alaska Marine Lines

Title: Facilities Maintenance Manager

On the Job Since: 2004

Superpower: Always getting the job done

Hometown: Enumclaw, WA

Favorite Movie: Tombstone

Bucket List Destination: Taking all the grandkids to Disneyland

For Fun: Golf, playing with the grandkids

How did you start working for Alaska Marine Lines?
I had worked for Crowley Maritime for 30 years when Lynden took over the rail barge operation. I was asked to help out with the transition and then was lucky enough to be hired to help with the operation in Seattle and to help the Alaska Railroad with facility changes.

What is a typical day like for you?
I take care of 17 Alaska Marine Lines and Alaska Marine Trucking facilities in Seattle and Alaska. I work with managers and teams to maintain the facilities and handle repairs. I also do work for many of the other Lynden companies as needed, whether its docks, warehouses, offices or equipment like barges or tugs. Whatever is needed, I do it! I helped build the Petersburg and Haines facilities. Depending on what’s going on, we sometimes need to work around the clock dealing with weather and other issues that come up. I live in Enumclaw, so my commute is about an hour each way.

What has been most challenging in your career?
Making sure all facilities are maintained and safely operational. It can be a challenge when you are pouring concrete in the middle of the winter in Alaska!

Over the course of my career, I’ve had some interesting things happen like an A-frame building collapsed in Whittier under the snow and we had to repair it. We pride ourselves on doing as much marine repair as possible. It is tough to find marine contractors and repairs are very expensive. Before I was with Lynden a rail barge broke in half at sea and we had to figure out how to handle it.

What are you most proud of?
Building a new facility or upgrading a facility and the appreciation of everyone that uses it.

Tell us about your growing up years.
I come from a family of three brothers. We all played football, with one of my brothers going on to play for the Denver Broncos. I went into the navy out of high school and when I came out, I went to work on tugboats. After two years of being seasick, I went to work for Crowley loading rail barges in Seattle for 28 years.

What was your first job?
I worked nights in a brick yard when I was a senior in high school. My job was to run a cutter making different sizes of clay bricks to run through the 2-block long kilns.

What would surprise people about you?
When I was a kid, I always wanted to race boats and motorcycles. I did the motorcycles, but at 65 I actually had a chance to drive a flat-bottomed race boat. I was so sore afterward I decided it was not a good idea. It was a real eye-opener. Going 140 mph was way too fast for me.

Before working for Alaska Marine Lines, I had a roofing business and warehoused for Costco when they first started out doing hot tubs. I had a 20,000-square-foot warehouse and did all deliveries and warehoused for Washington, Oregon and California. I did 4,000 hot tubs a year.

How do you spend your time away from work?
I spend most of my time with my eight grandkids. I have three girls and five boys ranging in age from 3 months old to 9. I also play golf and have an endless honey-do list. We have some property in Enumclaw, and I have been ‘asked’ to build new decks, a green house and remodel bathrooms and bedrooms in my spare time.

What do you like best about your job?
By far the people. We have the most talented and hardworking people in the industry and wonderful support from leadership. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to work with everyone here at Lynden. I really believe anything is possible with the people here. It’s a workplace environment where everyone has input, and everyone is listened to.

Lynden is recognizing employees who make a difference every day on the job and demonstrate our core values, Lynden's very own everyday heroes! Employees are nominated by managers and supervisors from all roles within the Lynden family of companies. Learn more about the people behind your shipment.

Introducing Bob Barndt, District Operations Manager at Lynden Logistics in Anchorage, Alaska.

Name: Bob Barndt

Company: Lynden Logistics

Title: District Operations Manager

On the Job Since: 1987

Superpower: Taking care of internal and external customers

Hometown: Eagle River, AK

Favorite Movie: Tombstone

Bucket List Destination: Talladega Motor Speedway in Alabama to watch a race

For Fun: Spending time off the grid at his cabin, snow machining in winter and traveling in RV in summer

How and when did you start working for Lynden? Have you worked for or done projects with other Lynden companies?
I hired on with Lynden in 1987 at Prudhoe Bay as a foreman. Lynden was a contractor for ARCO at that time, and I was there for eight years. Over the last 34 years I have been fortunate to be able to work across all of the transportation disciplines with several Lynden companies. I spent 22 years with Lynden Air Cargo helping them get the customer base established in “Bush” Alaska, first with the Lockheed Electras and then with the Hercs. I was called upon numerous times to help out on project work, mainly in support of Lynden Logistics Services. One of the more interesting jobs I was fortunate to be part of was working in Russia for about a year on a huge oil spill cleanup project. My last four years have been working with the Lynden/UPS Projects team helping maintain our long-standing contract to move their bush packages all over the state of Alaska.

What is a typical day like for you?
These days I am working closely with our Lynden/UPS Projects team on the day-to-day challenges of moving 4,000 to 5,000 packages to over 600 zip codes and cities in Alaska. As we like to say…”Putting out Fires!” I have a great team to support me, too.

What has been most challenging in your career?
Not many that I can write about except in my early career with Lynden Air Cargo (humorous now). I was sent to St. Mary’s to help load fish on the Lockheed Electras and I had to sleep on a cot in a 20-foot CONNEX for three days. Little did I know that was the norm for working in Bush Alaska!

What are you most proud of in your career?
The many customers that I have helped over the years, both large and small. It makes me proud that I have done a good enough job that even as I transitioned from the different Lynden companies, they call me to seek out a transportation solution. See, we have the best Lynden employees in the transportation business, so it makes my job easy.


Bob volunteering at the Iditarod dog sled race in 2010.

Can you tell us about your family and growing up years?
I am originally from Friedens, PA, where my folks were raised. Their parents were coal miners. My father joined the Army and met my mom. I was raised the oldest of seven kids. We traveled to many bases before I joined the Navy. I spent four years as a Torpedomen’s Mate. Then I moved back to Alaska and started my new career in the Oil Patch. This is where I was hired on with Lynden.

What was your first job?
I had paper routes, mowed lawns and was a grocery bagger at the base commissary. I also had a job as a short-order cook at a local rod and gun club in Hanau, Germany. I look back at that job as being my first real paycheck job, and I would love to do it again!

What would surprise most people about you?
I actually wanted to be a professional bowler when I graduated from high school. Also, for you bowlers, my high is 299! When I met my bride and told her this, she said ‘DORK!’

How do you spend your time outside of work?
I spend my time with my bride Ann and family at our cabin snow machining in the winter and traveling in our motorhome in the summer. Being an “Off Grid” cabin owner and serving as part-time carpenter, plumber, electrician and all-around handyman is fun and actually therapy for me.

What do you like best about your job?
Absolutely 100 percent the people! There is no doubt in my mind Lynden has the best employees in this business!