True Story: Caleb Wagner

Tell us about your current position.

I am currently a senior whey technologist.  I report to the whey research and technical services department under the supervision of Mike Klein. This role is meant to provide technical support to Agropur’s whey ingredient processing plants.   Examples of support that a whey technologist provides to the whey operations teams include troubleshooting chronic process or quality issues, organizing large scale trials in the plant, as well as facilitating technology transfer from the R&D team to the commercial environment. It’s a fun role because you get to tackle a large variety of problems and also get the opportunity to interact with virtually all of the different departments within our facilities ( operations, quality,  engineering, maintenance/ automation and beyond).

Tell us about your training opportunities throughout your time at Agropur.

Agropur has never hesitated to provide me with training and networking opportunities to support my development.  Over my years with the company, I have had the opportunity to attend numerous conferences, short courses, and even earned my M.S. in Food Science while I was working. These opportunities have always been enthusiastically supported, whether that be my supervisors allowing me the time or the company providing financial support for these endeavors.  Another part of my training that I consider important has always been going to facilities within and external to Agropur to provide technical support as needed.  This has been a major part of both roles I have held in the company, and these experiences have contributed greatly to my breadth of available knowledge.

Tell us about your career path and how you have gotten to where you are today? (please specify positions held and duties, within each role at Agropur)

I started with the company during my senior year of undergraduate work at UW-La Crosse, just as I was finishing up my B.S. in chemistry.  I interned at our La Crosse facility (formerly Main Street Ingredients), where I ran the company’s sample program.  I also assisted the product development team with whatever help they needed, largely pilot work.

Once I graduated, the La Crosse R&D team hired me on full time as a product developer, or food technologist.  I began my career formulating instant nutritional beverages, but quickly transitioned to supporting the company’s ice cream/ frozen dessert ingredients business.  This role focused on working with external customers, both new and old, on custom frozen dessert formulations.  We supported all aspects of the product development process, from the bench/analytical work, to pilot work, to the first commercial trials of a new or improved formulation. One of my major highlights during this role was getting to work with plant-based formulations, as they offer a unique challenge to the product developer in terms of taste, texture, and functionality. My experience in this area also led to a great opportunity to lecture on that very topic at Penn State’s prestigious ice cream short course.  Another aspect I enjoyed of this role was traveling to external plants for trials, especially when it was to assist our friends in Agropur-Canada.

It was during my time in La Crosse that I earned my M.S. in Food Science through Kansas State while working full time. For my M.S., I had the unique opportunity to work on a thesis project under the joint supervision of Doctors Jayendra Amamcharla and Anand Rao of Kansas State and Agropur, respectively.  This, too, was a fruitful pursuit, allowing me to broaden my skill base particularly when it came to technical writing, presenting, and time management. 

In the fall of 2019, an opportunity came to shift to my current role with the whey R&D and technical services group.  At the end of the day, I enjoy learning new things, and taking on this new role has been a learning experience to say the least.  I look forward to continuing to grow and develop in this role and beyond!

How has Agropur supported your growth within the company?

I had numerous training, travel and educational opportunities as previously stated. Additionally, I feel that I have always been promoted fairly and given additional responsibilities that were appropriate for my skill level at any given snapshot in time -- a sign of good management.  I feel that I have always been given the right balance of challenge to keep me interested in my work, without ever having been shoved into the metaphorical “deep end” before I was ready.

Why do you love Agropur?

Agropur has great people, deep resources, supportive management and a unique, world-class product mix.   Need I say more?