Why Work for Valley? | by Lisa Dvorak

I started my career after college in the Valmont_® Structures division marketing department, knowing this was just a “starter job” at a manufacturing plant in the middle of nowhere. I just needed to get a few years under my belt to unlock more opportunities elsewhere and move up the ladder. Besides, how much fun could it be to do marketing for lighting and traffic poles? Well, as it turned out, a lot of fun. 

I had a great boss and mentor who helped guide my career into what I wanted it to be, and I gained experience, knowledge and friends.

After six years of marketing, my job changed to include more sales activities. As I learned how the sales process worked in Structures, I was able to bridge the gap between sales and marketing and improve our marketing efforts. After a few years, I knew I was ready for more, although I wasn’t sure what “more” was. 

I knew the Valley_® marketing team from company-wide projects and bouncing ideas back and forth. It was a team I wanted to be a part of, so when the opportunity came up to join the group, I leaped at the chance. A chance to get back to doing what I loved – marketing communications.

I’ve been at Valmont long enough to know that Valley makes the highest quality pivots. I’m also a city girl who married a country boy. My country boy worked for the local Valley dealer our first eight years of marriage, so my loyalty to Valley comes not only through my job at Valmont, but because it’s the only way to be. Blue is best. I learned a great deal from my husband about pivots and the ag world, which really helped me when I started this job.

There are so many great aspects of this new job: working with our dealers on their efforts to grow their business, the uncomplicated sales structure allowing me to have some contact with growers, and especially being a part of the passion that the Valley team has for the products we produce.

Yes, I’m drinking the blue Kool-Aid^®, but only because it’s the best there is.

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Lisa Dvorak Marketing Project Manager Lisa joined the Valley Irrigation team at the start of 2015. She was previously in the Valmont Structures division for 10 years. She enjoys Husker football, reading and traveling, but her biggest passion is camping (camper, not tent!) with her family and making memories that will last a lifetime. .

Jump into Social Media and Connect With Your Favorite Brands | by Kelly Cox

Does anyone remember MySpace and your default friend Tom? Well, it’s still around, but has essentially become a niche social network for musicians. I’m pretty sure I still have a MySpace account floating around somewhere, but, without knowing it, it was the first social network I ever dabbled in because it was the “cool thing to use in high school.” That…and AOL Instant Messenger. Different topic for another day.

Facebook was released my freshman year in college. At that time, you had to be a college student with a proper .edu email address in order to create and use a Facebook account. As hard as it is to believe, that was nearly 10 years ago, and Facebook is now open to anyone 13 or older.

The point of my brief history lesson is this: social networks have been around way longer than many people realize. They have been paving the way for new methods of communication for 20 years – no, joke, I looked it up (http://www.uncp.edu/home/acurtis/NewMedia/SocialMedia/SocialMediaHistory.html)! They are not something to be afraid of; they are something to embrace.

From a marketing perspective, I know that social media is an incredibly valuable tool; it allows us to show you the people behind our brand and prove that we’re not a bunch of robots. Looking at social media as a consumer, I see that it gives me an easy way to connect and engage with the companies and brands that I just love (Starbucks shout out!). Why is this kind of engagement important?

• I am the first to learn about new products and promotions.
• I get exclusive coupons just for engaging with brands on their social network(s) of choice.
• I have an easy way to ask the company a question regarding its products and services.
• I have an easy way to complain to the company regarding its products and services.
• And…(drum roll, please), I get to talk with other people who are just as passionate about that brand as I am, which also allows me to read new product reviews from real people.

There are literally hundreds of social networks that exist today, and not every social network is right for everyone. Different channels allow for different types of messaging, and one of those may be right for you. For those of you who have not yet braved the social media bandwagon, here are a few social networks we suggest you look into first.

• Facebook – delivers pretty much unlimited messaging, including text, pictures, videos, and events. We have found this social platform to be our most engaging (i.e., the place our followers prefer to Like, reshare, and comment on our posts, as well as ask questions about dealerships and employment opportunities). If you are looking for the social network that is your one-stop shop and the place where you may have the most opportunity to make your voice heard, we recommend you join Facebook.
• How are WE using Facebook? We use Facebook to share longer pieces of our news releases and blog posts. This has also become our social network of choice to share photographs.
• Follow Us – www.valleyirrigation.com/Facebook

• Google+ - very much like Facebook, message-wise. If you are a Google junkie, this is the social platform for you!
• How are WE using Google+? We use Google+ much the same way we use Facebook – to share pieces of news, as well as photos and videos. We joined Google+ to cater to those who are hard-core Googlers.
• Follow Us – www.valleyirrigation.com/GooglePlus

• Twitter – delivers very short, to-the-point, real-time messages (called Tweets) that are limited to 140 characters. Many ag companies and ag media use Twitter on a daily basis to share their latest news. If you don’t have a lot of time to poke around the internet, then this may be the social network for you.
• How are WE using Twitter? We use this social network to share real-time updates from our trade shows, as well as news releases, blog posts, and new pictures and videos. We love to share other companies’ Tweets, including many from our own dealers.
• Follow Us – www.valleyirrigation.com/Twitter

• YouTube – delivers video. In fact, it reaches more adults than cable TV, which is no surprise with the invention of the smart TV. If you are a visual learner, we recommend jumping on the YouTube train!
• How are WE using YouTube? To share our videos, of course! We have a plethora of informational videos on our products, as well as irrigation tips and tricks. We have also flagged many ag-related videos we think you will also enjoy.
• Follow Us – www.valleyirrigation.com/YouTube

• Pinterest – delivers pictorial representations of articles, tutorials, and ideas. This is the fastest growing social network today, which is why I wanted to give it a nod. Valley Irrigation is currently not on Pinterest, but that shouldn’t stop you from checking it out! This is a great place to get ideas for your business and personal life, as well as find pictures of ag. Pinterest allows you to create boards that relate to a single topic. So, if you’re the type to organize your thoughts, this may be the place for you to hang out.

Social media offers you a place to engage with the humans behind brands – companies aren’t comprised of a bunch of robots (well, for the most part). Jump on a social network today to communicate with the people behind your favorite brands; make that network your one stop shop to be the first to learn about new products, technology, and promotions. And, you may be surprised just how fun it can truly be.

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Kelly Cox Global Digital Marketing Manager Kelly joined the Valley Irrigation Global Marketing Department in 2008. Her love of all things geek (steampunk furniture, anime, Doctor Who, and science fiction/fantasy literature, just to name a few) helped shape her appreciation for technology and the web. Kelly is a newlywed and new homeowner, where she shares her geekery with her husband. She considers herself a wine connoisseur (though, 3 buck Chuck is delicious!) and has a love of painting, dance, and singing.

Welcome to the Valley Team, Shannon!

Shannon Peterson is the newest addition to the Valley_® Irrigation marketing team. She is a recovering news junkie, having spent more than 15 years in the business. Shannon worked as a reporter for daily newspapers and for The Associated Press, and as an online editor for the Omaha World-Herald’s website. She recently spent three years promoting Nebraska and its tourism opportunities to the media.

Shannon enjoys traveling with her family, particularly to national parks. She occasionally writes about her travels for Home & Away magazine. She also likes reading, trying new restaurants, seeing movies, and watching Husker football and Creighton basketball. However, she and her husband spend most of their free time chauffeuring their teenage son to activities and chasing their baby daughter.

Please help us welcome Shannon to the Valley Irrigation Marketing team!

Introducing the Valley Irrigation Bloggers!

With a new name and a new look, the Growing the Conversation blog also has some new voices! We want to take this opportunity to give you a face to put with the writing.

Valley Irrigation Global Marketing Department

		Matt Ondrejko Vice President Global Marketing Matt is the newest addition to the Valley Irrigation Global Marketing Department. The one word that can sum up Matt is "enthusiasm"! He likes to be on-the-go and have fun along the way. Matt loves music and the 1980s era. He is a child of the MTV generation and has a deep appreciation of all music genres (specifically, he is a huge Dave Matthews Band groupie). Matt has traveled to more than 70 countries around the world and enjoys learning about different cultures and people. He spent three years living with his family in Leuven, Belgium, trying to enjoy as many of the 700+ beers they brew there.
		Michelle Stolte  Global Marketing Manager Michelle has been at Valley Irrigation for over 10 years and is finally no longer a newbie! She has spent her entire time at Valley in the Marketing Department (international and domestic) and loves every minute of it. Michelle enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband. She also likes reading, swing dancing (although she isn't really that good...), and warm weather, so she is excited it is finally Spring!
		Kelly Cox  Global Digital Marketing Manager Kelly joined the Valley Irrigation Global Marketing Department in 2008. Her love of all things geek (steampunk furniture, anime, Doctor Who, and science fiction/fantasy literature, just to name a few) helped shape her appreciation for technology and the web. Kelly is a newlywed and new homeowner, where she shares her geekery with her husband and cat Kiba. She considers herself a wine connoisseur (though, 3 buck Chuck is delicious!) and has a love of painting, dance, and singing.
		Jill Zwiener  Global Marketing Communications Administrator Jill joined the Valley Irrigation team in 2011. She loves country music, fountain soda, food, college football, and the ski slopes of Colorado. She enjoys using photography to freeze the precious bits of time with her family into pictures that she can cherish for years.
		Cindy Barry  Co-op/Database Administrator Cindy has been with Valley Irrigation for over six years. In her spare time, Cindy loves to read, travel, luxury camp (ie: with bed, TV, and AC...) and, most of all, take care of her one-year-old grandson! And, she would like everyone to know that she is totally bribable with chocolate!
		Brooke Stover Global Marketing Assistant Brooke has been with the Valley Irrigation Global Marketing department since 2011. She spends her free time taking pottery classes; though she thoroughly enjoys this, most of her stuff is a bit lopsided. Brooke also loves to read and listen to Frank Sinatra. She enjoys traveling and has been to 11 countries with the goal to make it to six more in the next six years!

Other Contributing Authors

	Kelly Downing Global Irrigation Specialist Kelly, Nebraska-based Irrigation Specialist, spent 10 years working on soil and water research projects for a major agricultural university, involving a variety of crops. His work focused on irrigation management, but also included other topics. Since joining Valley Irrigation, he has worked in the fields of Service, Product Management, Product Reliability and Sales. Kelly focuses on developing projects in irrigation field management and providing recommendations for the Circles for Rice project. Kelly has traveled to several countries providing technical support, such as soil moisture monitoring and irrigation management training.
	Cole Fredrick Product Manager - Variable Rate Irrigation Cole has been with Valley Irrigation since 2011, where he manages the Valley Variable Rate Irrigation products. He was born and raised on a farm near Grand Island, NE (AKA "paradise"), and he tries to return back home as often as possible. Cole is a HUGE Husker fanatic! He stays young by enjoying all outdoor activities and almost any sport.
	John Kastl Product Manager - Equipment John joined the Valley Irrigation Engineering Department in 2000 after having spent 11 years at General Electric Aircraft Engines. Today, he manages the equipment products for Valley (center pivots, corners, and gearbox, to name a few), helping develop the next generation of Valley Irrigation machines. John enjoys photography, home renovation, and travel. On his third birthday, John watched the first moon landing!

We'll introduce other contributing authors as they jump on. But, now we want to hear from YOU! What topics do you want to read about? Is there a particular Valley product or technology you've been wanting to know more about? Don't be shy - click on the Comments box below to post your question or feedback!