Viafield Voice
March 2013
Viafield Voice The
Customers can be demanding. Learn how to meet their expectations. - Page 1 Safety Corner - Farming is a dangerous profession. Building a safety culture is a must.- Page 3
Viafield Feed Mill implements HACCP Program - Page 4
Not the impossible
8 Strategies for Identifying and Meeting Critical Customer Expectations Most salespeople and customer service professionals would agree on two key points: Customer loyalty is the key to long-term sales success and meeting customer expectations is the best way to achieve it. A generation ago, customer loyalty was a different game. Today’s customers are quick to switch to the competition. Levels of expectations If you exceed their expectations, they’re
impressed. If you’re meeting their expectations, they’re satisfied. Delivering below expectations is obviously poor, but in the context of creating loyalty, so is simply satisfying customers, because they’re getting nothing more or less than they expect. Ebbs and flows Customer expectations are dynamic, with ebbs and flows in accordance with a wide range of factors. If our customer’s satisfaction level is changing, find out if something has happened, either at their end or yours, to affect their expectations. If satisfaction is rising, find out what you’re doing right, so you can keep doing it. If satisfaction is sliding, figure out how to reverse the situation before you lose the customer.
Fortunately, most customers don’t demand the impossible. What they usually want is reasonable. Both the product and the process are important to customers. The product refers to the solution system, response, resolution, deliverable or result. The process concerns how customers feel they’re being treated. Product and process Whatever form the product takes, customers want it to work properly, to meet their needs, and their quality standards. The process is the human element of service. Excelling in the product alone may not keep customers Continued on page 2
R
coming back unless they’re also satisfied with the process. For some customers, the process is more important than the product.
communication and feedback. You respond quickly and personally to concerns of high interest to your customers. An engaged customer is more than satisfied and more than loyal. They go out of their way to show their association with your company. They also support you during both good and bad times, because they believe what you have to offer is superior to others.
Customer loyalty Customer loyalty is hard-won and mostly driven by the quality of salesperson. The ultimate question is how can a salesperson determine what his or her customers value most so as to satisfy their expectations.
•
Some of the most common customer expectations include: •
•
•
Solid information. You deliver fast, efficient and accurate information. You deliver prompt responses to their inquiries, whether online, by phone or in person. Providing valid information tells customers that you respect their ability to make sound decisions. Options. Customers don’t want to hear that there is only one way to a single solution. They may respond positively when they’re given a selection. Options are essential because they create dialogue and discussion. Once the customer asks questions and you respond, a longterm relationship may develop. Engagement. Customers expect you to provide an open channel for
•
Complaint management. Managing comments and concerns benefits you in two important ways. Research indicates that an upset customer whose problem is addressed with swiftness and certainty can be turned into a highly loyal customer. Secondly, hidden gems may be found in your customer complaints that can be a rich source of improvement ideas. Flexibility. Because they have less time to manage their work, customers expect new levels of flexibility. They want salespeople to present innovative solutions to problems. They look for responsiveness and creativity. They look for sales people who make it easy to do business with them. Effective salespeople communicate their flexibility whenever possible. Their customers never hear words such as “That’s our procedure.”
•
Creativity. Customers look for ideas on how to improve their operations. During your dealings with a wide variety of businesses, you probably pick up ideas and techniques that can be helpful to toter customers. They appreciate this type of help, and you may be repaid with increased loyalty.
•
Fairness. Customers want to be treated fairly. They want to know that the service and product they receive is as good as that received by any other customer.
•
Trust. As technology opens new doors, overwhelmed customers find themselves looking for someone to guide then through the challenges they face. Many products and services are difficult to distinguish from the competition. Prospects look for salespeople they can trust who will help them make the right decisions.
Adapted from Managing Expectations: Working With People Who Want More, Better, Faster, Sooner, Now by Naomi Karten (Dorset House). Ms. Karten is an author and management consultant.
Mike Kirby in Elite Group of National Top Performers We’ve always known that Mike Kirby was one of the best beef nutritionists. Now Mike is receiving national recognition for his achievements. Mike was notified in mid-February that he has made Purina Animal Nutrition’s Summit Club, joining the ranks of the top-selling feed salespeople in the country. Mike made it into this elite group by growing his sales by 31%. His reward is a trip to San Antonio in May, but he would tell you that his real reward is the relationships he’s developed with his customers and co-workers. Earlier this year, Mike was recognized by Elanco as one of Purina’s top 20 beef feedlot consultants and invited to attend a special forum during the 2013 Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Tradeshow in Tampa. This was an opportunity to visit and learn from cattle industry people from across the country. We’re proud of Mike’s achievements and support his participation in Summit Club and the Elite Consultants Management Forum. The knowledge he gains through events like these help us fulfill Viafield’s promise to our customers, and that boosts sales.
ViafieldVoice 2
SAFETY CORNER
Building a Safety Culture By Julie Waltz
In general, feed and grain companies conduct operations in a way that promotes production first and safety second. Even the notion of putting “safety first” does not by itself promote a safe workplace. Safety is an attitude and should not be thought of as “first” or “second,” but should be integrated into all thought processes throughout a business. Undoubtedly, the most influential source of a company’s safety culture is the location manager due to their daily contact with employees. However, often the people who move into management are promoted due to their operational work, but technical proficiency doesn’t always indicate successful people management. So, when location managers need help creating a positive safety culture, upper management can help by: •
• • • •
Providing a companywide, integrated safety management system. Safety expert Chris Goulart notes, “No single tactic, employed on its own, has ever been developed that clearly produces the highest level of sustained achievement. Complete alignment of organizational activities within a clear vision of continuous safety improvement that is based on the full engagement of everyone is necessary to develop a sustainable safety culture.” Providing a formalized means for employees to discuss near misses or hazards and to remediate these risks before an accident or incident occurs. Developing a method of tracking and measuring process-oriented “leading indicators,” rather than using the traditional method of “lagging indicators” (items that measure failure by looking at what already happened). Developing policies for standard safety-related work procedures. Educating managers on how positive interactions foster an honest and heartfelt desire by the workforce to be involved in the safety process.
What can be done immediately to foster a positive safety culture? • • • •
Lead by example. Have available and use personal protective equipment at all times. Use the guards on all equipment and wear eye protection. Conduct daily job meetings and talk about the precautions for the day’s job (i.e., before loading a train; before cleaning a bin). Do not wait for scheduled company safety training for employees. Encourage employees to discuss daily tasks, equipment or tools they might need to do their job safely, and talk about near misses. Encourage using lists or permits to facilitate thinking the job through. Do not allow employees to skip steps to “get the job done.”
The location manager plays a key role in safety through their daily interactions with employees. When a manager leads by example, actively engages employees, identifies and fixes near misses, and creates a model of safety based on accomplishment, then a strong location safety culture is an assured outcome. Julie Waltz is a safety consultant for RCI Safety. After graduating from Iowa State University with a B.S. in Industrial Technology, she spent more than 20 years in the agronomy and grain industry focusing on fostering relationships between facility operators and their emergency responders and developing safety cultures. Julie can be reached at [email protected].
ViafieldVoice 3
Ad-Venture Viafield Advertising Insight An update on current promotions, ads and advertising campaigns your cooperative is participating in. In our quest to keep team members informed, each month in the Viafield Voice we’ll include a summary of our current advertising. Our goal is to make sure that you know what we’re communicating to our customer
members, even if you don’t listen to a particular radio station or read a particular newspaper. Two New Radio Spots During April we will be running two radio ads in a rotation on all our partner stations. The first ad highlights our agronomy department and their efforts to help local producers get the most out of every acre this planting season. The other ad is for out energy division and focuses on our Cenex® premium diesel products. Promotional Products Everyone loves our Viafield branded hats, pens and travel mugs. These items are a great way to further distribute our name and brand to
the marketplace. In the coming months, we plan on continuing to test out new, innovative , and requested items. From rain gauges and umbrellas, to golf balls and refrigerator magnets, the possibilities for what we can put our name on are virtually endless. As we get new items, the marketing department will bring them to team meetings to get your feedback and determine what we should keep as a long-term options. Important: Viafield Team Members, if you have an idea for a new promotion item, radio ad, or a place we should advertise, please contact Chris Menke at cmenke@viafield. com.
Viafield Feed Mills Implement HACCP Program Our three feed mills are taking steps to make the feed we produce even better.
On Jan. 4, President Barack Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act into law, requiring all facilities registered with the FDA under the Bioterrorism Act to develop a written food/feed safety plan that evaluates hazards and details procedures to control those hazards so they do not cause adulteration or misbranding of product.
The regulation applies to all commercial grain elevators, feed mills, feed ingredient manufacturers, grain processors, millers and exporters, as well as foreign facilities that ship agricultural products, feed and feed ingredients intended for consumption in the United States. One way to ensure compliance with the law’s written food/ feed safety plan requirement is
to implement a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) plan. Developing a HACCP plan takes time, dedication from management and staff, and an acute understanding of all the raw materials and processes used at the facility. Recently, all three Viafield feed mills in Elgin, Rudd, and Maynard went through training and have now begun the HACCP programs for each location. ViafieldVoice 4
Discounted Cell Phone Program Get a discount off your monthly cellular phone bill through US Cellular just by being a Viafield Team Member!
We all have them, and we all need them. Cell Phones. In 2010, a study showed that for the first time, more people in the United States had cellular telephones then land-line telephones. And now with smart phones and data plans, the cost
Spreading the Value of Agriculture Globally Viafield is once again hosting international interns. The Ukraine, is a European country becoming more and more familiar to our Viafield team. This past week we welcomed two international interns for the 2013 season, Iaroslav (Iri) Bezvugliak and Anton (Tony) Demianenko
Iri Bezvuglik (left) & Tony Demianenko
of a cell phone is also getting more expensive. So why not get a discount?
email address, you can apply for the discount on-line by visiting www.uscellular.com/partner.
Viafield has set up a program with US Cellular where team members can receive a 10-15% discount off your monthly personal plans. The percentage is based on the plan you have.
If you have any questions, contact our US Cellular Account Representative, Jenn Hilleshiem at 319-404-6625 or [email protected]
To take advantage of this discount, simply visit your local US Cellular location and present our Viafield employer code (PED4902) and proof of employment (you can use a business card or pay stub. Feel free to black out any financial information if you like). Additionally, If you have a viafield both from the Ukraine. Iri and Tony will be working in our East region for Chris Bausch, Clermont, and Dave Adams, Arlington, in our Grain and Agronomy divisions. The interns hope to learn how our agricultural organization works, as well as, the process our local farmers go through from planting to harvesting. Iri and Tony will work side by side with our team members as they learn our equipment, rolling stock, bins, NH3, chemical handling, and all the processes and procedures that accompany those tasks. They recently underwent the forklift training course, and worked with
Tony moves product with the fork-lift
Kevin on our safety policy and procedures. You are encouraged to spend some time getting to know Iri and Tony as they will be part of our team through November. They ask great questions, actively listen, and genuinely want to know how “it” works so they can do a good job for Viafield.
The interns go through safety training with Safety Leader Kevin Davis
The guys learning on the job
ViafieldVoice 5
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Scott Butt - Agronomy Account Relationship Manager Rudd, Iowa We are pleased to announce the addition of Scott Butt as the new Agronomy Account Relationship Manager out of the Rudd location. Scott has an AAS degree from North Iowa Area Community College in Agronomy Sales and Service and has spent the last few years gaining valuable experience at a competing cooperative. In his new role, Scott will consult with area producers on their seed needs, will provide fertilizer and chemical recommendations and help strengthen overall field performance while maintaining and developing long-term relationships.
Scott Butt
To reach Scott you can call (641) 330-6975 or email him at [email protected]
Kory Turner - Applicator East Region Kory Turner joined the Viafield team this past Monday, March 25, as our newest Applicator for the East Region. Kory is responsible for spraying chemicals and spreading fertilizer in customer’s field as well as other customer oriented duties across all our divisions as needed. Kory’s previous work experience with a local competitor operating spreaders and sprayers has given him the knowledge to make an immediate impact for the agronomy division this season.
Kory Turner
nt
Curre
s
ng Openi
Kory will travel between Arlington, Lamont and Winthrop as well as other locations in our eastern region as the demand for field application picks up this spring. Agronomy Account Relationship Manager - East Region Applicator, Agronomy Division - Marble Rock Applicator, Agronomy Division - Northwood
Feed Truck Driver - Elgin Grain Operations - Manly
New Addition to the Viafield Family Congratulations to Frank and Rhoda Burgin, who drive over the road for our Viafield Team. On Thursday March 14, 2013 Brantley James Jansen, their newest grandson was born weighing in at 8.5lbs and 21 inches long. As you can see from the picture grandpa Frank is loving his grandchildren. Brantley’s older twin siblings 3 year olds Adin and Abbi were very happy to meet him… and can’t wait to play with him. Congratulations Frank and Rhoda! ViafieldVoice 6
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Anne Benning March 2 Geoffrey Seidel March 3 Curtis Schaub March 6 Brad Foster March 11 Aaron Woltzen March 16 Larry McTaggart March 17 Trent Trask March 17 Loren Hanson March 19 Robert Folkerts March 22 Kory Turner March 26 Ronald Helgerson March 29 Perry Kolsterman March 30 Duane Smith Kristina Normann Michael Harden Clete Christianson Joshua Heagel Shirley Duran Randy Koch Travis Krull Ronald Larson Chris Bausch Richard Bauer
April 2 April 3 April 4 April 11 April 11 April 11 April 14 April 15 April 16 April 27 April 28
We thank the following team members for all they have accomplished while working at Viafield! Mike Kuboushek Energy Team Leader
5 years
Alan Behrends Driver 5 years Robert Teeple Napa 10 years
John Julseth Agronomy Sales
0 2years
UpcomingEvents April 9, 2013 - Feed Team Meeting - Maynard Office - 9:00-11:00 April 9, 2013 - Safety Meeting - ISU Extension Office - Charles City - 9:30-11:30 April 17, 2013 - Grain Team Meeting - Dugan’s - Floyd - 8:00-12:00
Stay in touch with your cooperative through our social media outlets. Copyright © 2013 Viafield, a cooperative. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the express written permission of Viafield is prohibited.
ViafieldVoice 7
Viafield Voice The
Customers can be demanding. Learn how to meet their expectations. - Page 1 Safety Corner - Farming is a dangerous profession. Building a safety culture is a must.- Page 3
Viafield Feed Mill implements HACCP Program - Page 4
Not the impossible
8 Strategies for Identifying and Meeting Critical Customer Expectations Most salespeople and customer service professionals would agree on two key points: Customer loyalty is the key to long-term sales success and meeting customer expectations is the best way to achieve it. A generation ago, customer loyalty was a different game. Today’s customers are quick to switch to the competition. Levels of expectations If you exceed their expectations, they’re
impressed. If you’re meeting their expectations, they’re satisfied. Delivering below expectations is obviously poor, but in the context of creating loyalty, so is simply satisfying customers, because they’re getting nothing more or less than they expect. Ebbs and flows Customer expectations are dynamic, with ebbs and flows in accordance with a wide range of factors. If our customer’s satisfaction level is changing, find out if something has happened, either at their end or yours, to affect their expectations. If satisfaction is rising, find out what you’re doing right, so you can keep doing it. If satisfaction is sliding, figure out how to reverse the situation before you lose the customer.
Fortunately, most customers don’t demand the impossible. What they usually want is reasonable. Both the product and the process are important to customers. The product refers to the solution system, response, resolution, deliverable or result. The process concerns how customers feel they’re being treated. Product and process Whatever form the product takes, customers want it to work properly, to meet their needs, and their quality standards. The process is the human element of service. Excelling in the product alone may not keep customers Continued on page 2
R
coming back unless they’re also satisfied with the process. For some customers, the process is more important than the product.
communication and feedback. You respond quickly and personally to concerns of high interest to your customers. An engaged customer is more than satisfied and more than loyal. They go out of their way to show their association with your company. They also support you during both good and bad times, because they believe what you have to offer is superior to others.
Customer loyalty Customer loyalty is hard-won and mostly driven by the quality of salesperson. The ultimate question is how can a salesperson determine what his or her customers value most so as to satisfy their expectations.
•
Some of the most common customer expectations include: •
•
•
Solid information. You deliver fast, efficient and accurate information. You deliver prompt responses to their inquiries, whether online, by phone or in person. Providing valid information tells customers that you respect their ability to make sound decisions. Options. Customers don’t want to hear that there is only one way to a single solution. They may respond positively when they’re given a selection. Options are essential because they create dialogue and discussion. Once the customer asks questions and you respond, a longterm relationship may develop. Engagement. Customers expect you to provide an open channel for
•
Complaint management. Managing comments and concerns benefits you in two important ways. Research indicates that an upset customer whose problem is addressed with swiftness and certainty can be turned into a highly loyal customer. Secondly, hidden gems may be found in your customer complaints that can be a rich source of improvement ideas. Flexibility. Because they have less time to manage their work, customers expect new levels of flexibility. They want salespeople to present innovative solutions to problems. They look for responsiveness and creativity. They look for sales people who make it easy to do business with them. Effective salespeople communicate their flexibility whenever possible. Their customers never hear words such as “That’s our procedure.”
•
Creativity. Customers look for ideas on how to improve their operations. During your dealings with a wide variety of businesses, you probably pick up ideas and techniques that can be helpful to toter customers. They appreciate this type of help, and you may be repaid with increased loyalty.
•
Fairness. Customers want to be treated fairly. They want to know that the service and product they receive is as good as that received by any other customer.
•
Trust. As technology opens new doors, overwhelmed customers find themselves looking for someone to guide then through the challenges they face. Many products and services are difficult to distinguish from the competition. Prospects look for salespeople they can trust who will help them make the right decisions.
Adapted from Managing Expectations: Working With People Who Want More, Better, Faster, Sooner, Now by Naomi Karten (Dorset House). Ms. Karten is an author and management consultant.
Mike Kirby in Elite Group of National Top Performers We’ve always known that Mike Kirby was one of the best beef nutritionists. Now Mike is receiving national recognition for his achievements. Mike was notified in mid-February that he has made Purina Animal Nutrition’s Summit Club, joining the ranks of the top-selling feed salespeople in the country. Mike made it into this elite group by growing his sales by 31%. His reward is a trip to San Antonio in May, but he would tell you that his real reward is the relationships he’s developed with his customers and co-workers. Earlier this year, Mike was recognized by Elanco as one of Purina’s top 20 beef feedlot consultants and invited to attend a special forum during the 2013 Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Tradeshow in Tampa. This was an opportunity to visit and learn from cattle industry people from across the country. We’re proud of Mike’s achievements and support his participation in Summit Club and the Elite Consultants Management Forum. The knowledge he gains through events like these help us fulfill Viafield’s promise to our customers, and that boosts sales.
ViafieldVoice 2
SAFETY CORNER
Building a Safety Culture By Julie Waltz
In general, feed and grain companies conduct operations in a way that promotes production first and safety second. Even the notion of putting “safety first” does not by itself promote a safe workplace. Safety is an attitude and should not be thought of as “first” or “second,” but should be integrated into all thought processes throughout a business. Undoubtedly, the most influential source of a company’s safety culture is the location manager due to their daily contact with employees. However, often the people who move into management are promoted due to their operational work, but technical proficiency doesn’t always indicate successful people management. So, when location managers need help creating a positive safety culture, upper management can help by: •
• • • •
Providing a companywide, integrated safety management system. Safety expert Chris Goulart notes, “No single tactic, employed on its own, has ever been developed that clearly produces the highest level of sustained achievement. Complete alignment of organizational activities within a clear vision of continuous safety improvement that is based on the full engagement of everyone is necessary to develop a sustainable safety culture.” Providing a formalized means for employees to discuss near misses or hazards and to remediate these risks before an accident or incident occurs. Developing a method of tracking and measuring process-oriented “leading indicators,” rather than using the traditional method of “lagging indicators” (items that measure failure by looking at what already happened). Developing policies for standard safety-related work procedures. Educating managers on how positive interactions foster an honest and heartfelt desire by the workforce to be involved in the safety process.
What can be done immediately to foster a positive safety culture? • • • •
Lead by example. Have available and use personal protective equipment at all times. Use the guards on all equipment and wear eye protection. Conduct daily job meetings and talk about the precautions for the day’s job (i.e., before loading a train; before cleaning a bin). Do not wait for scheduled company safety training for employees. Encourage employees to discuss daily tasks, equipment or tools they might need to do their job safely, and talk about near misses. Encourage using lists or permits to facilitate thinking the job through. Do not allow employees to skip steps to “get the job done.”
The location manager plays a key role in safety through their daily interactions with employees. When a manager leads by example, actively engages employees, identifies and fixes near misses, and creates a model of safety based on accomplishment, then a strong location safety culture is an assured outcome. Julie Waltz is a safety consultant for RCI Safety. After graduating from Iowa State University with a B.S. in Industrial Technology, she spent more than 20 years in the agronomy and grain industry focusing on fostering relationships between facility operators and their emergency responders and developing safety cultures. Julie can be reached at [email protected].
ViafieldVoice 3
Ad-Venture Viafield Advertising Insight An update on current promotions, ads and advertising campaigns your cooperative is participating in. In our quest to keep team members informed, each month in the Viafield Voice we’ll include a summary of our current advertising. Our goal is to make sure that you know what we’re communicating to our customer
members, even if you don’t listen to a particular radio station or read a particular newspaper. Two New Radio Spots During April we will be running two radio ads in a rotation on all our partner stations. The first ad highlights our agronomy department and their efforts to help local producers get the most out of every acre this planting season. The other ad is for out energy division and focuses on our Cenex® premium diesel products. Promotional Products Everyone loves our Viafield branded hats, pens and travel mugs. These items are a great way to further distribute our name and brand to
the marketplace. In the coming months, we plan on continuing to test out new, innovative , and requested items. From rain gauges and umbrellas, to golf balls and refrigerator magnets, the possibilities for what we can put our name on are virtually endless. As we get new items, the marketing department will bring them to team meetings to get your feedback and determine what we should keep as a long-term options. Important: Viafield Team Members, if you have an idea for a new promotion item, radio ad, or a place we should advertise, please contact Chris Menke at cmenke@viafield. com.
Viafield Feed Mills Implement HACCP Program Our three feed mills are taking steps to make the feed we produce even better.
On Jan. 4, President Barack Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act into law, requiring all facilities registered with the FDA under the Bioterrorism Act to develop a written food/feed safety plan that evaluates hazards and details procedures to control those hazards so they do not cause adulteration or misbranding of product.
The regulation applies to all commercial grain elevators, feed mills, feed ingredient manufacturers, grain processors, millers and exporters, as well as foreign facilities that ship agricultural products, feed and feed ingredients intended for consumption in the United States. One way to ensure compliance with the law’s written food/ feed safety plan requirement is
to implement a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) plan. Developing a HACCP plan takes time, dedication from management and staff, and an acute understanding of all the raw materials and processes used at the facility. Recently, all three Viafield feed mills in Elgin, Rudd, and Maynard went through training and have now begun the HACCP programs for each location. ViafieldVoice 4
Discounted Cell Phone Program Get a discount off your monthly cellular phone bill through US Cellular just by being a Viafield Team Member!
We all have them, and we all need them. Cell Phones. In 2010, a study showed that for the first time, more people in the United States had cellular telephones then land-line telephones. And now with smart phones and data plans, the cost
Spreading the Value of Agriculture Globally Viafield is once again hosting international interns. The Ukraine, is a European country becoming more and more familiar to our Viafield team. This past week we welcomed two international interns for the 2013 season, Iaroslav (Iri) Bezvugliak and Anton (Tony) Demianenko
Iri Bezvuglik (left) & Tony Demianenko
of a cell phone is also getting more expensive. So why not get a discount?
email address, you can apply for the discount on-line by visiting www.uscellular.com/partner.
Viafield has set up a program with US Cellular where team members can receive a 10-15% discount off your monthly personal plans. The percentage is based on the plan you have.
If you have any questions, contact our US Cellular Account Representative, Jenn Hilleshiem at 319-404-6625 or [email protected]
To take advantage of this discount, simply visit your local US Cellular location and present our Viafield employer code (PED4902) and proof of employment (you can use a business card or pay stub. Feel free to black out any financial information if you like). Additionally, If you have a viafield both from the Ukraine. Iri and Tony will be working in our East region for Chris Bausch, Clermont, and Dave Adams, Arlington, in our Grain and Agronomy divisions. The interns hope to learn how our agricultural organization works, as well as, the process our local farmers go through from planting to harvesting. Iri and Tony will work side by side with our team members as they learn our equipment, rolling stock, bins, NH3, chemical handling, and all the processes and procedures that accompany those tasks. They recently underwent the forklift training course, and worked with
Tony moves product with the fork-lift
Kevin on our safety policy and procedures. You are encouraged to spend some time getting to know Iri and Tony as they will be part of our team through November. They ask great questions, actively listen, and genuinely want to know how “it” works so they can do a good job for Viafield.
The interns go through safety training with Safety Leader Kevin Davis
The guys learning on the job
ViafieldVoice 5
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Scott Butt - Agronomy Account Relationship Manager Rudd, Iowa We are pleased to announce the addition of Scott Butt as the new Agronomy Account Relationship Manager out of the Rudd location. Scott has an AAS degree from North Iowa Area Community College in Agronomy Sales and Service and has spent the last few years gaining valuable experience at a competing cooperative. In his new role, Scott will consult with area producers on their seed needs, will provide fertilizer and chemical recommendations and help strengthen overall field performance while maintaining and developing long-term relationships.
Scott Butt
To reach Scott you can call (641) 330-6975 or email him at [email protected]
Kory Turner - Applicator East Region Kory Turner joined the Viafield team this past Monday, March 25, as our newest Applicator for the East Region. Kory is responsible for spraying chemicals and spreading fertilizer in customer’s field as well as other customer oriented duties across all our divisions as needed. Kory’s previous work experience with a local competitor operating spreaders and sprayers has given him the knowledge to make an immediate impact for the agronomy division this season.
Kory Turner
nt
Curre
s
ng Openi
Kory will travel between Arlington, Lamont and Winthrop as well as other locations in our eastern region as the demand for field application picks up this spring. Agronomy Account Relationship Manager - East Region Applicator, Agronomy Division - Marble Rock Applicator, Agronomy Division - Northwood
Feed Truck Driver - Elgin Grain Operations - Manly
New Addition to the Viafield Family Congratulations to Frank and Rhoda Burgin, who drive over the road for our Viafield Team. On Thursday March 14, 2013 Brantley James Jansen, their newest grandson was born weighing in at 8.5lbs and 21 inches long. As you can see from the picture grandpa Frank is loving his grandchildren. Brantley’s older twin siblings 3 year olds Adin and Abbi were very happy to meet him… and can’t wait to play with him. Congratulations Frank and Rhoda! ViafieldVoice 6
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Anne Benning March 2 Geoffrey Seidel March 3 Curtis Schaub March 6 Brad Foster March 11 Aaron Woltzen March 16 Larry McTaggart March 17 Trent Trask March 17 Loren Hanson March 19 Robert Folkerts March 22 Kory Turner March 26 Ronald Helgerson March 29 Perry Kolsterman March 30 Duane Smith Kristina Normann Michael Harden Clete Christianson Joshua Heagel Shirley Duran Randy Koch Travis Krull Ronald Larson Chris Bausch Richard Bauer
April 2 April 3 April 4 April 11 April 11 April 11 April 14 April 15 April 16 April 27 April 28
We thank the following team members for all they have accomplished while working at Viafield! Mike Kuboushek Energy Team Leader
5 years
Alan Behrends Driver 5 years Robert Teeple Napa 10 years
John Julseth Agronomy Sales
0 2years
UpcomingEvents April 9, 2013 - Feed Team Meeting - Maynard Office - 9:00-11:00 April 9, 2013 - Safety Meeting - ISU Extension Office - Charles City - 9:30-11:30 April 17, 2013 - Grain Team Meeting - Dugan’s - Floyd - 8:00-12:00
Stay in touch with your cooperative through our social media outlets. Copyright © 2013 Viafield, a cooperative. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the express written permission of Viafield is prohibited.
ViafieldVoice 7
