Face Behind the Fertilizer: Russ Harms

As far back as he can remember, Russ Harms has been passionate about taking things apart and putting them back together.

“When I was a kid, I would tear apart anything I could get my hands on,” Russ said. “Pretty much everything I learned was by trial and error. Disassemble it, reassemble it and hopefully learn how it works in the process.”

What he didn’t know back then is that this penchant for hands-on learning was paving the way for his future success.

As Russ grew older, his mechanical interests centered around trucks and engines, which are still his biggest passions today. He credits his countless hours in the garage with gaining the experience necessary to thrive in his role as plant operator at Koch Fertilizer in Beatrice, Nebraska.

With his strong mechanical background and the natural crossover between working on cars and working on equipment at the plant, Russ is regularly involved in troubleshooting, diagnosing and fixing issues. Pumps, motors, valves — if it’s not working right, Russ has earned the reputation over the years as the go-to guy to get it repaired.

“When issues are addressed quickly it improves our efficiency and helps us keep the plant up and running, and that’s our main goal,” Russ said. In a nod to his humble nature, he quickly added, “I don’t always have the technical skills to fix the problem. But if I can’t fix it, I still try to figure out what’s wrong so we can get the right people out to work on it.”

Russ has been in various operator roles since he joined Koch Fertilizer in 2016. Aligning his personal interests and strengths with his professional life has empowered Russ to broaden and develop his skills while doing what he enjoys. In other words, it’s meaningful work that matches his talents. And when that happens, it’s a win-win.

“One of the great things about working at Koch is that I’m not limited to whatever my job title is at the time,” Russ said. “My role is constantly evolving, and it’s fitted to my strengths rather than trying to box me in to a predetermined set of tasks.”

Keeping Russ “outside the box” allows him to excel at what he considers the most exciting part of his job: finding answers to problems and process issues with no clear solution.

“The plant throws puzzles at us every day, and we get to work through those puzzles,” Russ said. “The products we make daily don’t change, but no two days are ever the same. It’s constant transformation to try and make the plant better.”

Russ is a self-admitted perfectionist, so making things better is a personal matter for him. In his free time, you’ll find Russ working to improve his 2.6 diesel pulling truck, fittingly named “In Harms Way,” and competing in pulling events. He’s also served his community as a volunteer firefighter for more than 20 years. The monthly meetings and training are demanding, but he’s committed to expanding his knowledge and skills to always be prepared.

“I believe there’s always room for improvement,” Russ said. “Never settle for just getting by or saying it’s good enough — something can always be better.”

For Russ, every day brings new challenges and opportunities to apply his mechanical skills and problem-solving prowess. So, whether he's fine-tuning his truck, volunteering as a firefighter or fixing something at the plant, his exceptional work ethic and passion for improvement ensure no two days are ever the same — and that's exactly how he likes it.