Being the first to do anything usually sparks a special sense of accomplishment, so it’s no surprise that Ohio Valley Ag Parts Manager, Gary Grant takes pride in the many firsts he’s accrued from his years with Equipment Technologies (ET).
“I came to work at Ohio Valley Ag (OVA) when we opened the branch in February 2007, but I’ve been associated with ET and Apache Sprayers since the prototype days,” Grant said. Before Grant began his tenure at OVA, he owned G & L Equipment in Owensboro, Kentucky.
“I helped test Apache Sprayer prototypes before the company was officially formed in 1997,” Grant said. “Then I became the first Apache dealer that was ever set up. We actually picked up the first unit and sold the first Apache that was ever built.” He later sold the business in 2001.
“After coming onto the team as the Parts Manager, my job was, and continues to be, to ensure our farmer customers have access to all the parts that they need to get the job done,” Grant explained. “I was happy to take the job and come back to work near a product I got to help bring in to the marketplace.”
Grant said although the days can be long, it’s worth it to be a part of the company’s culture and legacy.
“The purpose of this job is all about providing support to Apache Sprayers and their owners and that’s something I enjoy,” Grant said. “The ag industry is unique — I could probably give you 100 names of people who started working in the industry and never left. I grew up on a farm and it was the same thing for me — once you’re in ag, you just don’t want to get out.”
Plus, with so many continuous product developments and improvements, Grant only sees success in the future for ET.
“I think the new Bruin Sprayers are going to be a huge success for us — it’s going to give us the opportunity to get into more of the custom application business versus strictly just end-user farmers,” Grant explained. “It’s a huge opportunity to grow our customer base.”
According to Grant, the number of people who have come to ET and stayed for years is also a perfect testament to the company’s focus on its team members.
“Equipment Technologies is such a generous company to work for — they take their employee and customer relations very seriously,” Grant said. “If you need help with anything, the training is there and the management is there, so it’s a very supportive company to work for.”
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