SOUTH POINT-- If you work some place for more than 30 years, perhaps you reserve to have part of that enterprise named in your honor.

So it is with two new harbor boats that have joined the fleet at McGinnis Inc. in South Point. This week officials there christened the "Elwood Jones." Earlier this summer, they christened the "John Greer." Both boats are named for welding supervisors who have been with that outfit for more than three decades.

"A lot of companies do this. We had kind of gotten away from it in the past several years, but if you have someone who's been with you this long, you've got to do something for them," Russ Painter, McGinnis' regulatory affairs manager said.

It's been more than 13 years since McGinnis has bestowed such an honor on one of its employees.

"It's just an honor to have two good men who have stayed with us this long," supervisor Rick Griffith said. "They're both excellent people, excellent employees. I wish I had a dozen of them."

As for Jones, he quietly pronounced himself "pleased" that his employers thought enough of him to put his name on the side of a boat.

Each vessel is 60 feet long, 20 feet wide, with an 800-horsepower engine. Each boat is capable of towing six barges at a time. The "John Greer" will be used in Paducah, Ky., while the "Elwood Jones" will remain in South Point.