Hailing from a diverse work background, ranging from restaurants, construction and pest control to security, medical and the steel industry, Steve Dice is no stranger to hard work. “At each job I’ve had,” Steve explains, “I’ve always started at the bottom and worked my way up into management.” No matter the role, he always strives to make the company the best it can be, whether by improving processes and workflows or building an efficient team.

Beginning at Cooper Marine and Timberlands (CMT) in 2017 as a deckhand aboard the derrick crane Mr. Bert, Steve eventually moved into his current role of Stevedore at CMT’s ChipCo facility. As a Stevedore, he’s one of many workers tasked with ensuring the safe, efficient and timely loading and unloading of bulk freight vessels and barges via ChipCo’s floating crane barges and gantry crane. Acting as a liaison between ship personnel and the ChipCo team, Steve assists with coordinating operations and to ensure a safe work environment.

“The work I do here is like nothing I’ve ever done before,” he said. “I worked at a steel mill overseeing and driving shipping operations, but the scale of the operation and work we do here at ChipCo is a whole new challenge that allows me to achieve things I never imagined possible.”

He credits his diverse and enthusiastic crew for making each day’s new challenges a breeze to overcome. “I love watching my team make a plan come together,” Steve enthused. “We’re out here in charge of a multitude of moving parts, and it’s up to us to bring it all together.” Always learning and driving forward new standards of excellence, Steve loves working with his crew to make what often seems impossible achievable.

“Working with the team at ChipCo is like working with family,” he said. “Sometimes they can drive you crazy, but I love them!”