May 6, 2026
Skilled Trades Day: Brayden White
Brayden White has always enjoyed hands-on work. He’s also a self-described “techie.” These two interests might seem a little at odds, but they complement each other perfectly in his skilled trades role as inspection trainee at Koch Fertilizer Wever.
When he joined Koch Fertilizer Wever in 2022, Brayden’s first role was plant support in the maintenance department. His day-to-day work was the definition of hands-on.
“I took care of oil changes on vehicles, replacing light bulbs, mowing lawns and things like that,” Brayden said. “Basically, I was responsible for taking care of the facilities around the plant.”
In this role, Brayden had the opportunity to learn about different areas of the facility and build relationships with people across the plant. Looking back, he considers it an important part of his employee growth and career path.
"If you show up, learn and take ownership, there’s always room to grow. I’ve experienced that firsthand by starting as plant support and working my way to inspection trainee.”
The effort Brayden put in to build skills and take on new challenges during his time as plant support paid off. His contributions earned him the opportunity to step into a skilled trades role as a maintenance technician in 2024. It was still hands-on, and it allowed Brayden to lean into his interest in technical work.
“As a maintenance tech, I worked on rotating equipment, pressure safety valves and piping components, including valve and gasket replacement,” Brayden said. “That ended up sparking a more targeted interest in quality-focused work to improve the safety and reliability of the plant.”
About a year later, the spark Brayden experienced as a maintenance tech led him to pursue his current role as inspection trainee. The ability to find his sweet spot — a role that combines his skills and interests — is something he attributes to the unique culture at Koch.
“People are supported, challenged and given real growth opportunities, even without a degree,” Brayden said. “If you show up, learn and take ownership, there’s always room to grow. I’ve experienced that firsthand by starting as plant support and working my way to inspection trainee.”
As inspection trainee, Brayden focuses on identifying equipment issues early and prioritizing repairs. According to him, it means staying detail-oriented and making sure concerns are communicated quickly and addressed appropriately.
"It’s rewarding to know the work I do helps protect people and prevent problems before they happen."
Something that stands out to Brayden in his current role is collaboration. He works closely within his own department and with other teams across the plant, regularly drawing on his previous plant experience to help him now.
“The relationships and knowledge I built during my time in plant support and mechanical maintenance are extremely valuable,” Brayden said. “They make it easier to communicate, align priorities and get the right work done safely and efficiently.”
With such a strong focus on safety, the most rewarding part of Brayden’s job as inspection trainee is also the most challenging.
“It’s rewarding to know the work I do helps protect people and prevent problems before they happen,” Brayden said. “Catching an issue early and seeing it get addressed makes a real impact on the plant’s safety and reliability.
“It’s also a constant challenge to know safety is on the line. The work we do affects the people working in the plant and the community around us. It’s our job to do things right so everyone stays safe.”
"We have a lot of really cool technology and automation at the plants, but you can’t fully automate hands-on work. It takes trained people in the field to troubleshoot problems and fix them right."
As we recognize Skilled Trades Day and all the dedicated professionals at our sites for their daily contributions, Brayden shared this final thought on the importance of a skilled, hands-on workforce working in tandem with technology:
“Skilled trades keep the plants running safely and reliably,” Brayden said. “We have a lot of really cool technology and automation at the plants, but you can’t fully automate hands-on work. It takes trained people in the field to troubleshoot problems and fix them right.”
