Tim Powers has spent nearly 35 years working at the Fort
Dodge, Iowa ammonia plant. When Koch Fertilizer purchased the facility in 2003,
he wasn’t sure what to expect of the new culture. To his pleasant surprise, it was unlike
anything he had experienced before.
“The biggest reason Koch is a unique place to work is our
Market Based Management culture,” Tim said. “Everyone is striving to be all we
can be, adding value, and transforming ourselves and others to add more value.
My coworkers are the best and brightest, hardworking people I see everywhere I
go.”
As the rotating equipment lead, he leads a team and ensures rotating
equipment runs smoothly for the production of ammonia and UAN fertilizers. He
spends time visiting with maintenance and operations technicians to get their
perspective on how things are running.
Through the years, Tim has seen and experienced many
changes, but one of the biggest evolutions has been the transformation of daily
operations.
“What
we do at work today does not resemble that from 34 years ago when I started,”
Tim said. “When I was a new operator, we used pencil and paper to log
temperature and pressure readings every two hours. Now, those same indications
are captured electronically and recorded. We have trending and alarming
capabilities, and even smart algorithm programs that can predict potential
abnormalities or incidents before they become an issue.”
Seeing these advancements come to life is just one of the
many exciting parts of Tim’s career. Another rewarding part of Tim’s career is
being a supervisor.
Tim has had many mentors throughout his career and strives
to help as many people as he can. Over the years, he’s grown as a supervisor
and learned to apply Market Based Management principles to mentor his team, build
their capability and help them succeed.
“I
want to make sure my coworkers understand I care and am available to help them
in any way I can,” he said. “I want to see them succeed at meeting their goals
and be fulfilled.”
When
Tim is away from work, you can find him at home enjoying time with his family. He
and his wife of 31 years have four kids and were blest with the birth of their
first grandchild in June.