This month we are closing out our Employee Profile series on Nathan Koester, our Grain Systems expert. If you’ve learned anything about Nathan up to this point, and this can be said about all of our employees, it’s that he’s a hard worker. But the joy of working with someone like Nathan is that he’s less of a work smarter not harder kind of guy and more of a work smarter AND harder kind of guy, especially when it comes to FSCS inventory and projects.
FSCS Inventory and Projects: Nathan Koester
This becomes obvious when you look at his approach to inventory. “Many manufacturers have begun to dial back that process [of stocking parts] as a way of reducing overhead. We respect that, but we still try to keep a healthy amount of parts on hand and in stock.”
When it comes to grain systems, it’s all about balance. Nathan’s approach is to keep many things in stock so they can move quickly when needed. But this is a challenge when operating in a world where about one-third of projects are customized. Because of this, manufacturers now manufacture parts based on orders received, meaning some wait time is inevitable. Keeping other parts in stock allows Nathan and his team to move forward with projects even as they wait on additional parts.
Over time, the size of those projects has grown. When he first started, he said the average “large” operation was around 3,000-4,000 acres and would run one to two combines. Now he says the operations have grown up to 20,000 acres and run three, four, or more combines. And while they work on all sizes of farms, Nathan’s average customer is usually running an operation around 5,000 acres.
No matter the size, Nathan makes sure he is always there from the design phase to the day the equipment is up and running. It’s common for customers to be wary of new technology, so Nathan and his team always stay around to provide training and assurance when needed. Nathan will even return during a day of harvest to make sure everything is working properly.
And that’s what’s so special about Nathan, he has never once lost sight of why we do what we do. He keeps his customer’s success at the forefront of all the work he and his team do. And both FS Construction Services and our customers are the better for it.
If you have any questions for Nathan about grain systems, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.