Twenty years is a long time, especially in terms of employment with one company. However, for Jeremy Hurt, Senior Application Specialist at ET Works, it seems like just yesterday that he was starting his first role with the company.
“It was May 1997, when I first started at ET Works,” Hurt recalled. “The first Apache Sprayer prototype was done, so they were working on completing the first machine — it was maybe half done at the time. My first job was doing a little testing with the prototype and then I helped finish the first sold unit.”
He has come a long way since then. In the 20 years Hurt has been with ET, he’s taken five different positions within the company.
“My first two positions were all about building Apache Sprayers and getting to know the product firsthand,” Hurt said. “After a few years, I helped with technical service and warranty claims. Once we started incorporating more precision ag technology, I helped train dealers and customers. Now I have more of a product support role.”
Hurt’s current role changes with the seasons. In the spring, he focuses on the Sprayer Clinic program, hosted by Apache dealerships throughout the Midwest, but once the busy season hits (around April-July) he functions more as a technical support resource for dealers and customers.
“I do a lot of training in the busy season for technical support,” Hurt said. “Once the summer calms down we hit the road again for the ‘show season’ to help connect with new customers and spread the word. We talk about the product as a whole with our current customers and try to visit with new ones too.”
As a former farm kid, Hurt has a deep appreciation for agriculture. Though he no longer farms, he enjoys being able to see the variety of farming styles while traveling for Apache.
“We get to see all types of farms and landscapes,” Hurt said. “We’ve traveled to Washington, Oregon, of course down South and out East. I’ve been to Nova Scotia, Eastern and Western Canada — we’ve just been everywhere. It’s a big bonus to get to go out and see all of the different types of farming.”
In the winter, Hurt mostly stays put to help with in-house dealer training sessions.
“During dealer trainings, we go over how the electrical and hydraulic systems work and how to better service customers in the field,” Hurt explained.
When asked why he’s stayed so long, Hurt says it’s a combination of the people and his history with the Apache Sprayer.
“We’re a pretty close-knit group here, so you kind of feel like a family, but really it’s the Apache itself,” Hurt explained. “I love the sprayer and it’s been a big part of my life — helping to develop it and watch it grow, that’s what has really kept me here.”
Hurt looks forward to the continued growth of the Apache brand and his future work with new ET products.
“I kind of joke with everyone; I say I’ve had about every job here except writing the paychecks,” Hurt said. “It’s pretty fun looking back on all of it — being a part of Apache from the start — I get a sense of accomplishment from it all.”
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