Canada National Engineering Month

Each March, Canada celebrates National Engineering Month. At Koch Fertilizer, we use this time to recognize and celebrate our team of Koch Fertilizer Canada engineers for all their efforts, milestones and accomplishments.

Across Koch Fertilizer and Koch Ag & Energy Solutions (KAES), we have a diverse spectrum of engineering specialties. Sabrina Torneden, a KAES Human Resource Business Partner, explained just how many different fields are represented.

“We employ engineers in many different specialties including mechanical, electrical, chemical, project and computer/IT,” Sabrina said. “Although we have opportunities in almost all the ‘traditional’ engineering disciplines, our roles are far from traditional.”

To understand what makes Koch Fertilizer unique, we spoke with three engineers at our Brandon, Manitoba, plant to get their perspective on a wide range of topics, including what they like most about being an engineer.

Ammonia Operations Engineer Meher Meethal talked about his drive to learn and how it influences his work.

“Some of the aspects I really like about my role are the immense learning applications that are available. With the position, the engineering spectrum is so broad,” he explained. “There’s a million, probably billions of different things to work on, so you're always learning and always developing as an engineer.”

When asked about his own career growth, Manuraj Rajappar, an instrumentation reliability engineer, described the excitement of taking on bigger responsibilities.

“After only eight or nine months, I was given the full freedom to make big decisions and take on challenging projects. That’s a big opportunity after a very short span.”

He also discussed the importance of collaboration in the engineering field and how teamwork leads to real-world learning experiences.

“At Koch Fertilizer, small jobs and big jobs need the support of other disciplines,” Manuraj said. “We continuously interact with other people and teams and these are ways to get knowledge and skills also.”

For those looking for a career with some variety, Keyur Patel, a reliability engineer, told us there’s no shortage of excitement in his field.

“My work is not monotonous work. Every day, I find myself in a different situation where I get to apply my engineering principles.”

Keyur went on to outline additional attributes that could help others find success in engineering.

“You have to be aware of all the assets and equipment that are used in fertilizer, chemical and petrochemical industries, but you also have to have a good work ethic,” Keyur said.

But to him, the real secret to success is having genuine enthusiasm for the work involved and a little bit of patience.

“You must be passionate because you will have setbacks. It’s going to happen. Be calm and efficient and ready to learn … and your success, your achievements … everything will follow.”

At Koch Fertilizer, it’s the people who make the organization dynamic and successful. We’re always looking for motivated, forward-thinking candidates who are determined to create a meaningful impact. Apply today at KochCareers.com.