Jeff Westra
Byron Center,MI
Summary
Results driven, with a focus on customer satisfaction and customer ROI. While doing this, having the overall goal to have the customer partner with our people and our company profitably. I've coached our team to earn our way into their inner circle of trust, so that we were the ones they called for recommendations on all of their farm decisions, not just the products and services that we provide. Creatively influencing the market place, not just being order takers.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
Sales Manager
Wilbur-Ellis
01.2020 - Current
- Work on local programs with suppliers for grower incentives and building loyalty
- Plan and purchase all fertilizer for locations
- Conduct weekly meetings with sales and operational staff to acquire all inventory needs. Creatively made different plans to supply growers with options when suppliers were supply challenged.
- Handled customer relations issues, enabling quick resolution, and client satisfaction.
- Coached sales personnel with the goal of being market influencers vs order takers. Whole farm planning vs just taking partial orders.
- Continue to maintain a solid book of personal sales business.
- Hiring of sales staff and interns. Handled most of the interviews for acquiring sales staff.
- Helped guide low performing sales staff to solid effective planners and performers.
- Helped managed AR. Set up programs and 3rd party financing for quicker payment.
- Held many very successful grower meetings.
Sales Representative
Wilbur Ellis
02.2011 - 01.2020
- Maintained and grew a successful sales territory ranging from the Indiana border to Rothbury, MI
- Worked with a variety of different growers through a broad range of crops, both in the row crop and specialty markets
- Conducted several grower meetings. Invented Bluetrition University for our blueberry growers, and had a very good following with it
- Trained and mentored new sales representatives
Location Manager
Green Valley Agricultural
01.2006 - 02.2011
- Full service retail facility that did custom application and also had specialty crops in the area
- Trained new staff on job duties
- Oversaw warehouse staff and maintained efficiency in fast-paced environment.
- Controlled location operational expenses and maintained budgets through balance of profit promotion and cost control.
- Maintained a good sized book of sales business
Sales Representative
Green Valley Agricultural
04.2002 - 01.2006
- Began my career in Michigan here. Grew up in Iowa, and had no connections in agriculture in Michigan. I knew no one, so my book of business that I worked with was all new.
- Ran custom application fertilizer for the first year before I began in sales
Education
Bachelor of Science - Plant Sciences
Dordt College
Sioux Center, IA05.2001
Purdue University
LIFE Leadership
Skills
- Supplier Planning/Negotiation and Growth Objectives
- Sales Territory Growth and Planning
- Budgeting and P&L
- Sales Process training for new sales people
- Recruiting and Hiring
- Supplier Negotiations
- Fertilizer Purchasing and Planning
- Inventory Management and Supply Chain Challenges
Sports Coach
I've coached dozens of softball teams that my 4 daughters have been on, as well as 3 years of coaching girls basketball at our local high school. One of my passions is helping my daughters and their teammates develop not only on the softball field or basketball court, but in life. If you ask any of them, Coach Westra talks about life lessons that apply to their game, but also to their lives. So far, my daughters and the girls I've coached have thoroughly enjoyed it, and have continued to ask me to coach them. I'm not sure who enjoys it more, myself or them.
Timeline
Sales Manager
Wilbur-Ellis
01.2020 - Current
Sales Representative
Wilbur Ellis
02.2011 - 01.2020
Location Manager
Green Valley Agricultural
01.2006 - 02.2011
Sales Representative
Green Valley Agricultural
04.2002 - 01.2006
Bachelor of Science - Plant Sciences
Dordt College
Purdue University
LIFE Leadership
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