The beast of an operation, that is our Ralston SoyPlus processing facility, requires strong leaders to keep it running smoothly. One of those leaders is SoyPlus production operations lead, Ryan Bruening.
Ryan was adopted into a family about a mile south of Mt. Carmel, IA, where he grew up with his siblings on their diversified farm. Today, Ryan has a farm of his own and enjoys tending to it during the day before working the night shift at the SoyPlus facility.
What was supposed to be a temporary stay at Landus, starting in February of 2017, Ryan’s stay turned into a long-term career in Ralston. He noted how much Landus has changed since his start and how rewarding it is to see the growth.
There’s been a lot of changes and learning points to get to where we are now, which is good. The structure has changed from year to year just a crazy amount... We went through three people per shift; now we have seven to nine people per shift. We were loading three cars a night; now we’re loading 20 cars a day. It’s just a night and day difference in the business. It’s not even the same Soy Center as it was when I started. So, the growth in that alone and seeing where we came from versus where we are in a short time is cool.
Throughout all the changes and progressions, Ryan has been steadfast in his appreciation for the stability that his team and Landus provide. After graduating from Emmetsburg College with a Business and Sales & Communications degree, he worked his way up the ranks at Bomgaars before opening his own insurance company, which meant commission-based, sporadic income. Ryan was familiar with a few people who already worked at Landus, and he knew that making the switch would help him to establish more of a structured schedule.
Although he may be working the opposite version of a typical nine to five, Ryan loves the flexibility that working nights provides him and his family. He is able to spend quality time outside with his four kids and golden retriever “semi-puppy” while at home during the day and alleviate some stress from his wife. The transition between the two shifts was challenging for Ryan at first, but he has thoroughly enjoyed growing with his team both personally and professionally.
Interested in working with Ryan and the SoyPlus team? See our new positions available at landus.ag/careers.
