Middle River Marine

In memory of our dear co-worker and friend... Zachary "Zach" S. Allison January 14, 1999 ~ January 25, 2025 (age 26) Zachary “Zach” S. Allison, 26, of Mark, passed away unexpectedly at his home on January 25, 2025. Zach was born in Spring Valley on January 14, 1999 to Roger "Scott" and Connie (Rogge) Allison. Zach worked as a barge deckhand for Middle River Marine. Zach enjoyed fishing, working on cars with a particular preference for Chevys, and hanging out with friends. He looked forward to going out to eat with his family after a long time away on the barge. He loved family get-togethers and enjoyed the good times. He had a good heart, was very giving, and liked bringing gifts. Zach was strong and determined and would do anything for anyone. He was there for everyone that needed him. Zach is survived by his dad Roger "Scott" Allison and bonus mom Rebecca Kaszynski of Bureau; five brothers Ryan Mercer, Kevin McCully, Dustin Grilc, Brandon Grilc, and Steven Grilc; one bonus brother Nicholas (Molly) Rynkewicz; one bonus sister Amanda Rynkewicz; paternal grandparents Peter and Jackie Allison of Toluca; maternal grandmother Janet Garcia of Ladd; bonus grandparents Mike Kaszynski of Spring Valley and Leslie and Charles Sloan of AR; and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He was preceded in death by his mother Connie in 2007, his paternal grandmother Mary, and maternal grandfather.

CONGRATULATIONS to Chris Jones for being our Employee Spotlight in December. Chris is our Harbor Pilot in Joliet and Lemont, IL. We had a chance to ask Chris a few questions... ? Q. How have you impacted our teams success? A. By being reliable and available at a moment’s notice. ? Q. What’s your most memorable experience at work? A. Saving a victim from drowning. ? Q. What is one thing you can’t live without? A. Family. ? Q. What’s a cause that you are passionate about? A. Suicide prevention. ? Q. What is a dream that you want to make come true one day? A. To own my own Towing company. ? Q. What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned throughout your career? A. Patience and standing behind the decisions that I make 100%. ? Q. What aspect of the organization makes you proud to work here? A. The Organization as a whole. ? "We appreciate Chris for his commitment to our success. Whenever we're short-handed, Chris is always the first to step up and fill in the gaps. We know we can count on him, and his dedication makes a significant difference to our team."?Larry Turner – Marine Superintendent

Making a Positive Impact... My Joyful Heart is a unique children’s charity that provides both life’s basic essentials and letters of encouragement to Chicagoland area kids in need. It’s not a “one-size-fits-all” organization – the gifts and notes given to children enrolled in the?program are personalized. Children receive necessities like clothing, hygiene products, and even food throughout the year. Providing for them consistently helps them feel special and cared for so they can thrive. My Joyful Heart brings hope! As we look for opportunities to make a positive impact on individuals and our communities, Middle River joined My Joyful Heart this Christmas to help provide some of those necessities.

Congratulations to Josias Nunez on his 10 year milestone with Middle River! Josias is a Captain on the MV Kamryn Olivia. Thank you for a decade of service, Josias!

Veterans Day is the annual federal holiday that celebrates and remembers all who have served in the military, both in wartime and peacetime. The day has been observed in one form or another since 1919, when then-President Woodrow Wilson commemorated the first anniversary of the World War I armistice, saying, "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations." It was officially recognized as a federal holiday in 1938 and became known as Veterans Day in 1954. To all of our Veterans at Middle River...and to all those who have bravely served this nation...Happy Veterans Day!

A perfect autumn morning for loading DDG through our Joliet Transload System (MM 287 on the Illinois River). The Joliet Transload is a 3 truck lane discharge system that can handle up to 1,000 tons per hour. Visit us at www.gomiddleriver.com.

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Cool, crisp mornings...football on TV...leaves changing colors...got to love Q4! Middle River is excited and ready to serve our customers!

Congratulations to Bob Douma!

Dr. Jess Vogt, Professor of Environmental Science and Studies at DePaul University in Chicago and her class visited our South Chicago Terminal last week. Dr. Vogt's research group at DePaul is called the Lab for Urban Forestry in the Anthropocene (LUFA), and she and her students have been conducting research on the success - survival and health - of planted trees around the Chicagoland area, including the CommuniTree program down in Northwest Indiana. Middle River was part of the Great Lakes Restoration Project and partnered with the Wildlife Habitat Council to plant over 100 trees this year at our terminal. The class that visited on August 29th was called "Discover Chicago Trees, Equity, and the City of Chicago." It’s a class in DePaul's First Year Program that aims to take students to different places around the city to see and learn through a particular lens (this one being urban tree planting). Middle River was happy to be a part of Dr. Vogt's field trip as we continue to make a positive impact on individuals, their families, and the communities in which we serve.