Ben McKay joins MagrowTec as a Technical Specialist in the US
With over 15 years of experience, Ben is adept at integrating cutting-edge technology into agricultural practices including coordinating partner testing, validating software designs by demonstrating functionalities, and providing data-driven feedback.
Throughout his career, Ben worked 13 years at John Deere (2007-2020), where he started as a Product Engineer, being promoted to System Validator Engineer and lastly, Senior System Validator Engineer. Ben field-tested products with partners in Texas and other states, coordinated worldwide partner testing for Gen4 display software teams, and validated software design by demonstrating new functionality to partners.
In 2021, Ben joined Blue River Technology, as an Agricultural Data Collection Field Supervisor, providing direction and support in data collection methodologies and procedures, establishing and maintaining productive partnerships with field teams, dealers, and customer contributors, besides offering mentorship to younger Field Application Engineers (FAEs) to enhance skills and efficiency.
Ben holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) and Master of Agriculture (MAGR), both from Texas A&M University.
Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, Fred Dupont, Ben will lead the training and installation support for our dealer partners, managing the installation process from beginning to end while conducting proper pre and post-tests as well as collecting and documenting details about the spraying operation.
“We are delighted to welcome Ben to the MagrowTec family. He brings with him considerable expertise from his past employment at John Deere and will be a great addition to the technical team already filled with experienced people who also worked with John Deere and other OEM’s. He is also of course a great addition to our ever-growing team in the USA and will help support our growth in this key market for us” said Fred Dupont, Chief Operating Officer of MagrowTec.
Commenting on his appointment, Ben says: “ I am very excited to join MagrowTec as the company expands its operations team into the USA. I am looking forward to being part of the team that leverages this technology to make agricultural applicators more efficient and effective.”
Chris Reeves joins MagrowTec as a Sr. Agronomic Advisor
With more than 25 years immersed in agronomy, sales, management, and grower leadership, Chris boasts a robust expertise in seed, crop protection, and nutrient sectors.
Over the course of his professional journey, Chris worked for prominent companies such as Cargill Inc. and CHS.
At Cargill, he started as a Farm Service Center Operations Lead in Oxford, NE, being responsible for the daily operations of a crop input location with 14 full-time employees, six application machines, and an operating budget of 2.9 million. After his promotion to Farmer Marketer, Chris assumed responsibility for sales of crop protection products, seeds, crop nutrients, and application services. He successfully expanded his sales territory, surpassing $5 million in annual sales and contributing over 20% to the gross margin.
In 2009, Chris joined CHS as a Technical Specialist being promoted to Sales Manager. He implemented Research Protocols for product evaluation, participated in and led retail, grower, and staff informational/training meetings, and provided sales support for account managers in several locations.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Agribusiness from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and participated in the Master of Agribusiness Program from Kansas State University.
Reporting directly to the US Sales Director, Amy Krauth, Chris will play a key part in providing expert agronomic support to our existing sales team and our current and future customers.
“I am excited to have Chris join the team as a Sr. Agronomic Advisor. This is a critical role for the continuous expansion of the US Sales Strategy. Chris comes to us with an extensive background and will support our customers and prospects with his Agronomic insights” said Amy Krauth, US Sales Director of MagrowTec.
Commenting on his appointment, Chris said “I eagerly anticipate partnering with our customer base to implement the most effective management practices to work in tandem with the technology developed by MagrowTec. Using this technology and best practices, the applicator will be able to improve efficiency, increase coverage and reduce drift. Our goal is for this effort to lead to superior applications and customer satisfaction.”
Please join us in welcoming Ben and Chris to the MagrowTec team.
