Category: 2022

Whether you’re a farmer, have some acreage, run a landscape business or maintain a municipality, Luke Belskamper has the expertise to match you with the right compact equipment and attachment. As Jenner Ag’s resident small equipment specialist and jack-of-all-trades, his knowledge stretches from Kubota, Land Pride and Exmark to Farmall and Case IH. “I work with some of our compact equipment, and with the compact stuff comes a different dynamic,” says Luke. “I have a different range of customers, and during the spring and summer months, I can have several customers daily.”

Keeping himself on the ball stems from knowing you have to get to know your customers no matter how many you have. “You have to tailor your approach to each customer; some customers want more face time, and some want to do their own thing. There is no manual to go with this role, so getting to know your customers as people is crucial. Knowing them and their goals and wants helps you better equip them with a tailored experience.”

One of the best ways he does that is by putting in the time. “I recently visited a customer, sat with him and his wife for over an hour, and just talked about everything. They were exceptionally nice people. Before I left, she handed me a bag of cookies to take out on the road. In ag, you find the kindness in people, and it’s pretty amazing.” In spending quality time with people, he finds that everyone has a way they prefer to run things. “It’s neat to hear everyone’s opinions on agriculture, you can have five guys talking about what they are doing, and it can all be different, traditional, organic. There are so many different ways to do it, and our team helps them all meet their goals.”

If he could follow just one rule, what would it be? Follow through is the key to success, according to Luke. “If you say you will do something, you better do it because people will remember. They will remember if you followed through not for days or weeks but for YEARS after the fact. If you say you will call at noon on Monday, call at noon on Monday. If you say you will help a fellow team member, you better help them. Follow through is everything.”

A Field Service Technician at the core of their role is someone who needs to be able to pivot as needed to work on anything anytime, and Travis Montgomery, a technician out of the Taylorville store, embodies that. "The nice part of my job is the variance in the type of equipment I work on," he says. "It keeps you out of the mundane when different things happen every day. You work on different systems that do different things. I enjoy working on anything and everything when it comes to equipment."

Being a field service technician is no easy task. You’re responsible for helping customers when they have an issue, during their most vulnerable time, and when they need to lean on you and what you offer. Travis prides himself on the way he can help people and build relationships. "Honestly, that's what I have loved since I've been in the industry—that ability to build a relationship with a customer and get to know them personally,” he says. “I can ask myself about their needs and wants, so I know how to help them better meet their goals. The more I know about a customer, the more they can pick my brain for what could help improve their operation.”

He relies on his Jenner Ag team and the experts at Case IH to help him when he needs it in whatever way best serves the customer, and from there, he makes it known that he is there for them whenever they need it.

Travis insists his customers call him anytime they have an issue, no matter the day or time. "If they are broken down in the field or have questions, they should call me,” he says. “It doesn't bother me to get calls after normal work hours. I have been on their side of things, and anyone who has experienced that knows that downtime is not a good time."

It’s a mantra that’s always on this mind, and it pushes him to deliver more for the Jenner Nation. As he says, "Our trucks say UPTIME, and that's what we strive for daily, to keep those customers going.”

Every good company needs a person focused on the numbers; here it’s Jake Brannan, Chief Financial Officer. While Jake is the CFO, his role takes on a unique perspective of working for a company that plays the Great Game of Business.

“Before I started working here, I had read the first Great Game book and really enjoyed it. Going into a company that had actually implemented and played the Game was eye-opening. To see all the benefits provided and what it takes to truly keep that Gameplay going and keep associates motivated and invested was impressive,” says Jake.

The way playing the Great Game changes everyone’s understanding of the financials is something unique to Jenner Ag, Jake says. “I have a story I love to tell about how one day a member of our maintenance team came to me and said, ‘We have an invoice that we should have capitalized and depreciated, and I took a look and said, ‘Wow, he’s right,’” he says. “I have never worked for a company where someone from another department could come to me and say they have been keeping an eye on how invoices are being paid and how we can better process one. So that was a first for me, and it was awesome.”

Jake says to him that understanding is huge. He views it as a real advantage to have the whole team looking at the dollars and cents the company is operating on and says it can have a real impact. “It makes my job in a way easier, but I also know it’s not just about the numbers for me; it’s about the details too,” Jake explains. “I’m here to really pay attention to the details and make sure we are generating correct numbers the first time.”

He views his role as the link between different segments of the company. “I’m the person asking those questions and making sure departments are communicating with each other,” he explains. “I help make sure everyone is following all the necessary processes. Being part of a team that thinks like owners, whose decisions impact every part of the business, I see how engaged every associate is.”

Working in the parts department is more than just knowing your parts and how to stock them. It’s about being someone a farmer can rely on when they are in a bind to help them get their equipment running again with that hard-to-find part. James Joslin, Parts Specialist for our Taylorville, Illinois, store, is one of those exceptional associates.   James knows his equipment and parts because he works on equipment outside the office. “I help farm 1,500 acres, which allows me to build on my parts knowledge even when I’m not at work. That way, when someone has problems, it speaks more to me. I have an experience that goes full circle,” says James.   While James appreciates what he does, it’s not his tasks that keep him excited; it’s the customers. “It’s not what I do; it’s the after-effect, seeing a guy struggling to find a part, and our team can pull one out and help him get what he needs when no one else could. It’s part of the Jenner Ag experience; it’s getting them what they need when they need it. Even though it’s hard to do sometimes, their reaction is my favorite part.”   James is part of the team at Jenner Ag that will go above and beyond. “We will work as fast as we can. The team and I will do whatever we need to help someone meet their goals,” says James. “Our highest priority is keeping everyone running as fast as possible.”

Kinzey Potter, Office & Inventory Manager, helps keep the Jenner Precision store running smoothly. Whether that be processing sales orders, helping with vendor orders or setting up the service team with anything they need on an install.

“I’m lucky in my role that I get to interact with every aspect of the Jenner Precision operation. I get to work with sales, service, administration and outside departments like our vendors. We are lucky that we have a host of vendors that are all amazing to work with. They always help us in any way they can. It’s a very cool experience to get to touch every aspect of the company with one role,” says Kinzey. “I don’t think everyone gets that opportunity, and that means a lot to me that I get to see that. It gives me insight into what we do here.”

Kinzey says having that insight allows her to see a clear picture of what Jenner Precision does. “Our goal is to always present farmers with new technology that can help them be better, but one amazing aspect of Jenner Precision is we value the input of our farmers and are always open when they come to us with the ways we can be better. I think this is so important in maintaining those strong relationships with our customers, both sides are helping the other one be better.”

Jenner Precision is providing that help to farmers by utilizing the latest technology. “The ever-changing technology with our precision technology vendors is always being tweaked and updated and evolving into something that can better serve our customer base. It’s amazing and fun to watch, and we do have fun here – we excel in camaraderie. We have a great relationship between all of us,” Kinzey says. “We can tease each other and have a blast all throughout the workday, which keeps things fun and exciting year-round.”

Shop Flow - the art of optimizing the functionality of the Jenner Ag shop and something Blake Lowe, Shop Foreman, has covered. “I keep everyone in the shop focused. I want us all to work hard to not only maintain customer expectations but exceed them and to do that we need to work hard and maintain a clean work environment,” he says.

Blake started out as a technician in the very own shop he now manages, and the insight he gained from being on the floor has stayed with him to this day. He does more than set the tone; he’s another helping hand. “I try to be out in the shop with the guys as much as I possibly can, I like getting my hands dirty,” Blake says. “I want to be there to answer any questions they may have or just help them out wherever I can. Getting these machines out and ready is our number one priority, and we do whatever we can to get them to the customer efficiently and in tip-top condition.” He looks at every machine that comes through the shop as if it was his own. “I ask myself how would I want my piece of equipment to come back to me? I want us to do the best that we can for the best customer experience.”

He stays on top of his game by taking in all the knowledge he can on changes to equipment and technology, and he does even more research on his own time. “It’s a lot of reading, but I do what it takes to do this job. I want our customers to know the team working on their equipment is a knowledgeable one that cares about the job we do,” says Blake.

Account Managers need to be up to date on the latest changes in technology, be stellar at time management, be open to new challenges, be a gifted problem solver, and most importantly be their word. If you can pair that with knowing the people you serve, that’s when the magic happens.

Brandon Vandeloo, Senior Account Manager for Southern Illinois, knows his territory well. “I know the territory I cover because I grew up here. I’ve been throughout this portion of Illinois my whole life; I feel that I can relate to a lot of my customers here and better understand their farming practices because they are similar to what we do around home,” says Brandon. “Southern Illinois can sometimes be very different than Central Illinois for example, and I understand that. It helps me serve my area better.”

Along with being in familiar territory, Brandon knows the agriculture industry. He grew up around farming and started in the field in high school by working on a dairy farm. He branched off from there and went to college to study Agribusiness. “I’ve always had an interest in agriculture, and through life experience and education have discovered all the possibilities the field offers. It’s a unique industry; everyone has a different story, and they all have their own thing going on. I love being out and about and hearing all those unique perspectives,” says Brandon.

While the people are one of a kind, so is the day-to-day. “I get to do something every day that allows me to grow. There are always a lot of new challenges working with various retailers and customers. This job keeps me on my toes and entertained,” says Brandon. Some of his final takeaways: “Sales is not just about taking orders; you are there to help out and make sure your customers are taken care of, their machines are up and running, and if not, you are the one who can help make things happen. Whatever they need, you lend a helping hand.”

Being the first voice people hear from Jenner Ag carries some weight – and Emily Amos, Corporate Support Specialist and Recruiter, is up to the challenge. Whether it’s a career fair, a job interview or an internal event, Emily is front and center and ready to help. She strives to be two steps ahead – making everyone’s lives here a little easier. She wears many hats and lends even more helping hands.

“Every day is different, and I get to be part of a little bit of everything! Each new task opens up a new learning experience,” says Emily. “I work on recruiting, preparing for internal classes we offer, assisting members of our management team in whatever support role they may have a need for and helping to plan our yearly parties/company outings.”

Her favorite part of the job, she says, is that the learning is endless. In her time at Jenner Ag, she has learned so much about finances, running a business, stocks, how to be a leader, The Great Game of Business, recruiting, agriculture, taxes and investing. “I essentially get a free education on many vital topics. I am constantly learning something new that I can use at work and in my everyday life,” says Emily.

With recruiting being a core aspect of her role, she takes pride in being one of the first impressions someone has of Jenner Ag. “I want our culture to shine through before anything else. I know it’s part of what makes people happy here,” says Emily. “During interviews, I look at personality type, the want to learn and grow, would they fit in with our culture, and are they easy to talk to – just as much as their skill set. We pride ourselves on having an environment of associates who are kind, happy, knowledgeable and fun to be around.”

Emily likes to live by the phrase, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” She says, “The people here love what we do and the agricultural industry and what that means to be a part of something that serves the world on a large scale, and it shows.”