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THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 26, 2023 A different kind of career in Brandon
With a commitment to employee growth, Koch Fertilizer Canada (Koch Fer- tilizer) offers employees a career with un- limited potential and the opportunity to make an impact. Based in Brandon, Koch Fertilizer em- ploys nearly 300 people in various fields including engineering, operations, main- tenance and skilled trades, logistics and other areas. According to site leaders, they strive to create an environment that fosters growth, helps employees find opportunities that fit their gifts and abilities, and provides a re- warding employee experience. Plant Manager Rodi Sveistrup’s own ca- reer highlights the diverse opportunities available to employees. Growing up northwest of Brandon, Sveistrup started working at the site as an environmental coordinator more than 20 years ago. Throughout his career, he held numerous roles including environmental manager, compliance team leader and op- erations leader, before becoming the site’s plant manager. “Once you’re here, there’s a breadth of opportunities,” Sveistrup said. “You get exposure to operations, maintenance, procurement, and engineering. We have a wide range of opportunities that people may not realize, and our employees aren’t limited to opportunities that only fit their technical education.” Maintenance Leader Steven Brown is an example of a Koch Fertilizer employee who has taken on opportunities outside his area of expertise. Brown, who grew up in Brandon, comes from a family entrenched in the local fer- tilizer industry. Together, his grandfather and father worked in the industry 60 years. When Brown was looking for employment as an undergraduate student, his parents told him to consider the long-term career opportunities Koch Fertilizer offered. “Ag is a big part of the community here, and Koch Fertilizer was one of the places that offered some of the best employment
opportunities in the community,” Brown said. “As an aspiring engineer, Koch offered tremendous growth opportunity and com- petitive compensation.” While a student, Brown began his career as a fertigation operator with the compa- ny. He returned the following summer as an engineering intern with the electrical team. After graduation, Brown started full time as a project manager for the engi- neering team. “Koch is a very unique place to work because they are willing to take a chance on people,” Brown said. “When you have a drive to contribute, show a positive mind- set and a desire to make positive change, then people are willing to take bets on you as somebody who’s growing in their career path.” After a few years as a project manager, Brown had the opportunity to move into an electrical engineering manager role. He managed a small team focused on reliabil- ity and electrical projects. According to Brown, this role gave him the opportunity to demonstrate his leader- ship qualities and the company decided to take another chance on him. “Instead of bringing in someone from outside the organization to make change and drive improvement, they’re looking within for who can become that future leader and help grow the business,” Brown said. “They are focusing on career progres- sion with existing staff who have shown they produce results.” Today, Brown, who has been with the company nine years, is the site’s mainte- nance leader. While his role involves im- proving maintenance systems and the team’s maintenance activities, his primary responsibility is developing future super- visors and other site leaders. “Nothing is better than seeing some- body on your team grow and take on op- portunities that might not even be within your team,” said Brown. “It’s just extreme- ly exciting to see somebody who’s on that upward trajectory doing well for the com-
Koch Fertilizer Canada process engineering intern Zoya Malik, plant manager Rodi Sveistrup and maintenance leader Steven Brown. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
pany and creating opportunities for them- selves.” In addition to building internal talent, Koch Fertilizer believes in developing the next generation. Each year, Koch Fertilizer hires interns in various disciplines, such as engineer- ing, skilled trades and instrumentation. Through the internship program, students gain real-world experience and work on meaningful projects. Zoya Malik is a third-year undergradu- ate student who spent the past five months interning with Koch Fertilizer. “When I was looking at the job descrip- tion, I liked how hands-on it was,” Malik said. “Some internships don’t offer any field work, so it’s just purely based in the office. Here, I can work in the plant and in an office environment. One of the biggest aspects of process engineering is seeing the plant in real life and seeing how the
equipment functions and works.” Malik says her internship started with her learning the plant and how it works. She shadowed other engineers and eventu- ally received her own engineering projects. Based on the project, Malik researched the equipment involved and gathered back- ground knowledge. Then, she met with site engineers to recommend a solution, such as an equipment upgrade or replacement. “The most exciting part is working on a project or task and then seeing it imple- mented in the field,” Malik said. “It makes you feel like you did something.” Whether you’re starting as an intern or growing into a leadership role, the compa- ny provides numerous opportunities for learning, development, and making a pos- itive impact. Learn more about internship opportunities and open roles at kochca- reers.com.
Sunrise at the Koch Fertilizer plant in Brandon on a cold morning in 2022. (File/The Brandon Sun)
The Koch Fertilizer plant in Brandon. (File)
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