Recognizing Chris for 25 Years of Service
posted on Thursday, December 23, 2021
Congratulations to Chris for 25 years of service!
Chris, a nursery manager who lives and works in and around Goldfield in Wright county says when it comes to the nursery system, it’s like having one big family. “We’re all friends, we’re competitive, and we help each other out.”
Reflecting back, he says when he started out as an entry-level caretaker he didn’t know much about pork production, but thanks to his trainers and colleagues he’s grown quite a bit over his 25 years with Iowa Select Farms. And moving from farm to farm—N4, N1, N19, N18, N7and back to N4—has helped his get to know a lot of people and gain from different experiences, he says.
Now the manager at Nursery 7, he likes his team and enjoys working with both pigs and people. “We’re all friends in the nursery system, but we’re also really driven from a performance and results perspective,” said Chris. “I tell my team all the time—let’s be the best nursery we can possibly be.”
Case in point, Chris says part of being the best you can be is looking at areas to improve, and control what you can control. “We’ve gotten 100 percent on our biosecurity and production well-being audits for four years straight,” something that make Chris very proud of his team, which includes Robert and Salvador.
“We’re like a family,” said Chris. “That’s what I really appreciate about Iowa Select Farms. “Family is important to me, and I appreciate the culture we have on our farm and throughout our company. We help each other out, especially when times are tough.”
Chris said there are silver linings, even when challenges hit, like PEDv. “We all had to step up during this time, and I moved over to supervise finishing crews because they needed the help,” said Chris. “It’s so engrained in our culture here, to help where needed, when needed.”
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