Electrical Safety Month 2025

Chad Taylor

Chad is an Instrumentation Controls & Electrical Technician at our Wever, Iowa facility and has been with Koch Fertilizer for seven months. Prior to joining Koch, he worked as an electrician for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 13 in Burlington, Iowa. One of the most rewarding moments of Chad’s career so far is achieving an “A” license on the Iowa Journeyman Exam following the completion of his five-year apprenticeship.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

“Being able to learn something new every day and the challenge of learning more about the instrumentation within the plant.”

What advice would you give to a new hire working in an electrical role?

“Be ready to work hard, get good at problem solving and always keep learning. Take pride in your work and if you are unsure of what you’re doing, don’t do it by yourself. Ask for help.”

Have you had any strong mentors in your career?

“Too many to list. Nathan Fraise was a great supervisor as I learned a lot about our daily tasks throughout the plant from him. Mike Smyth and Jacob Nye, former coworkers from when I was a contractor, are great role models for electricians, and both are valuable assets to our trade. All are great friends — or family as I will always consider them as!”

What electrical safety tips can you share?

“Always assume the circuit is live until you test it yourself. Keep your workspace clean and organized. Always have the proper personal protective equipment (PPE), test before touching and always have good communication.”

Zach Heble

Zach has been with Koch Fertilizer for six years as an Instrumentation & Electrical Technician at our Beatrice, Nebraska plant. Before starting at Koch, Zach earned a degree from Southeast Community College Electrical & ElectroMechanical Technology in Milford, Nebraska. His prior experience includes working at JK Electric in Lincoln, Nebraska and Cooper Nuclear Station in Brownville, Nebraska.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

“Troubleshooting issues — figuring out what the issue is and how to fix it while taking on the challenge of keeping up with ever-changing technology.”

What advice would you give to a new hire working in an electrical role?

“Take your time and learn. Work hard and you will succeed. Take the time to verify. If you’re questioning something, ask someone with knowledge. Don’t get into something without knowing. Spend time with people who have done it for a while and soak up knowledge."

Have you had any strong mentors in your career?

“I have had many good mentors at each place I’ve worked. Here at Koch, I would name Rich Buettner as somebody who I have looked up to and who is extremely good at mentoring. He has a lot of knowledge.”

What electrical safety tips can you share?

“Use the live-dead-live test, multimeter voltage test, lockout/tagout and know the equipment you are using and exactly what you are getting into.”

Chad and Zach stay updated on the latest safety practices and regulations through continuous training and learning from internal and external incident reports. We are extremely thankful for everything they — and all our electricians — do to keep the people and equipment at our plants safe.