Bainbridge Gets Creative: Gregory Dronkert
In this moment of year end reflection, we remind ourselves that 2020 opened a stream of dormant creativity in our community. This creativity has fueled our resilience and our ability to continue to move forward in the darkest of times. Enjoy a few of our favorite stories about how some of Bainbridge Island’s best and brightest were able to overcome obstacles in 2020.
Meet Gregory Dronkert
Owner: PacWesty Logistics
“They say “hindsight is twenty-twenty.”
Given what you know now, what would’ve you done differently as you look back at 2020?
Playing the “hand you’re dealt” takes courage and creativity (unless it’s a Royal Flush – in which case you were extremely lucky). Courage is what allows you to trust creativity, and creativity is the ability to see something that did not previously exist. In hindsight courage and creativity seem obvious, but when you’re facing an uncertain future with severe consequences, exercising these attributes might be more challenging.
Although we saw it coming, when the Stay at Home order hit Washington back in March, we were still taken aback. I remember thinking “now what?” But with a little research we realized our automotive shop was an essential service – and could remain open. We already had tight PPE, distancing, and sanitizing procedures in place, so our team decided to keep working.
Within days, we reached out to T&C Market on Bainbridge Island to see what they were doing about grocery deliveries. All we were trying to do was help out a bit and keep our team productive. But once it became clear the Stay at Home order would be in place for a prolonged period, it dawned on us that deliveries might be a new line of business.
Now over 8 months and 4,000 deliveries later, PacWesty Logistics operates 7 days a week and serves four T&C Markets in Kitsap and King counties. We’re utilizing sophisticated trip optimization software that interfaces with T&C’s online marketplace and we complete our deliveries using mostly electric vehicles (we’ve converted ourselves), making us the most active electric-powered logistics service in the Puget Sound Region. We’ve added 6 six employees and made T&C Market deliveries a top priority.
In hindsight, it was an obvious decision to jump into this line of business. However, back in March our business’s future was much less clear, and one might say it took courage and creativity to pivot the way we did. Either way, we are in this new business for the long-run and entire PacWesty team wishes you and yours all the best in 2021.
- Greg