Talk:Malcom McLean/Archives/2015

REQUEST EDIT

The article regarding Malcom McLean does not provide an accurate summary of his professional accomplishments when you omit key events that made the man a success in his own right and as the "Father of Containerization."

Here is one important example: you left out a major part of the story by not reporting that when he purchased Waterman Steamship in Mobile, Alabama, in 1956, he physically moved his family (also his sister and brother Jim who were partners with him) from North Carolina to Mobile and set up his new company in the Waterman Building in Mobile, AL hence the birth and beginning of SeaLand Service Inc. While in Mobile, Al, he took five of the Waterman Steamships, C-2's ships that were built in Mobile and served during WW II that he owned from the purchase and converted them into "container ships." The birth of containerization was in Mobile, Alabama as we now know. But there is no one who wants to report it or acknowledge that fact. And that is why if you ask someone, "Where did it all start?" they have no clue. It was not until 1960, four years later, that he moved his headquarters from Mobile to Elizabeth, NJ where he was lucky enough to buy 101 acres of open land to develop his company into a world class shipping company. Of course, we all know that is was the Vietnam War that "revolutionized" his company into a huge company. I served on five of his SEALAND ships and the president of the company at that time was a good friend of my father. I also have firsthand knowledge from the man who gave Malcom the wonderful idea of how to build gantry cranes on his ships so the loading and off-loading of containers could be expedited which also revolutionized his company. He also received in 1959 the Commerce Trophy for pioneering containerization presented to him by President Eisenhower, another item you omitted in your report.

I would like to see your editors present a less biased view of a man who did more for humanity in his determination to succeed in this endeavor then many of us could imagine. And yes, he did change the world for the better. And yes, it upset a lot of people but in the end, we have things that we would not have if it weren't for Malcom and his vision to make life better. And don't forget the numerous real estate projects he developed to provide the development of thousands of homes for people who are now living better because of Malcom McLean. To many he is a hero and it does not fare well with the older generation who knew him when a new generation of editors come along and want to dwell on the negative side of history.

It would be nice if your editors and volunteers would do their research and make the appropriate revisions-additions so the world will have the truth about the origin of Malcom McLean's great contribution in pioneering the shipping industry. No matter what you say, he is the true "father of containerization," and it all started in Mobile, Alabama in 1956.

Thank you,

Chase Pollman zachase@zebra.net — Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.56.16.249 (talk) 20:00, 23 April 2015 (UTC)