How’d you get involved in engineering? How did you decide on a career in engineering?
In high school I developed an interest in building and repairing things. Thanks to the vocational program at my school, I had an opportunity to rebuild engines, build electronic circuits, try all types of welding and even build houses. I enjoyed picking out both the pros and cons of different tools, processes and designs. Through this, whether I felt appreciation or frustration I always enjoyed the endeavors themselves. My mom always pushed us to pursue further education because it was an opportunity she didn’t have and my older brother had gone into engineering, so I decided I would give it a try.
What was your path to Vermeer?
Prior to Vermeer, I worked for another agricultural company for about four years. I enjoyed my time there, but when I had the opportunity to move to a location that supported my hobbies, I decided to apply at Vermeer MV Solutions to work at the location in South Carolina. It is such a great fit! The community here is great, and Vermeer has such a great working culture.
We have different types of engineering at Vermeer – why systems for you?
My last position was in systems and I really enjoyed the work. Within systems there is an abundance of opportunities to make a difference for the customer. Systems projects require a macro view of the product which opens the door to learn all types of different concepts.
What do you like most about systems engineering?
I love the diversity of responsibility for any given project. I am constantly getting to learn new things and apply them to my everyday understanding of how things work. Sometimes it sheds the light of simplicity on seemingly complicated ideas.
What’s your average day at work look like?
My average workday sees quite a bit of variation. I’ve had days where I spend all my time in the shop helping assemble a prototype machine, days where I spend all my time writing code and creating documentation, and just about everything in between. Sometimes to solve an issue or learn a new concept, I am literally writing 1s and 0s on a piece of paper. I would say the best days are the days I get to test something I have created; this is when you find out if you really caught all the details. Sometimes emergent properties make creating solutions pretty challenging, but this is what makes systems, systems.
Why did you choose Vermeer MV Solutions?
I chose Vermeer because the products make a big difference in managing the world’s resources.
What do you like most about working at Vermeer MV Solutions?
I enjoy the people. You rarely meet someone who isn’t willing to go the extra mile to help solve a problem. I feel like this positive culture makes for a great product.
We’re proud to have talented engineers like Alex doing important work at Vermeer.