From a young age, Taylor Wright was interested in how things worked. At his parent’s furniture and appliance shop, he disassembled washer, dryers and refrigerators, and assisted his dad with HVAC repairs. After initially planning to pursue welding, at the encouragement of a few high school teachers and family, he decided to study mechanical engineering at the University of Kansas.
In his role as project engineer, he primarily supports two of the Koch Fertilizer plants across the Midwest and oversees a portfolio of 10-15 capital projects.
“My projects typically include replacement or revamp of equipment, improving efficiency and production or enhancing environmental stewardship,” Taylor says.
He spends much of his time collaborating with a team of experts — the site team, engineering vendors and management — to keep projects on schedule and on budget, and to execute them safely. He confirms project design meets internal engineering standards and ensures the team follows the appropriate processes from engineering through construction and start-up.
Taylor says one of the most fulfilling parts of his job is “seeing the smooth and safe completion of a difficult project that provides value to the business, after spending hundreds of hours developing it with the team.
“I really enjoy developing a conceptual solution to a complex problem, designing it, then seeing that solution get constructed and implemented on-site in real time,” he says.