True Story: Heather Loose

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in the small town of Henderson, MN (7 miles from the Le Sueur facility). As an adult, I moved around the southern Minnesota area. We recently moved back to Henderson, and I love it. My family is here, and Henderson will always be home. 

Where did you go to school and what for?

I graduated high school from St. Peter, MN. I did not go to college and received all my training on the job or through the support of Agropur. 

What training opportunities have you had during your time at Agropur? 

I have had amazing training opportunities through Agropur. While in the lab, I attended courses for LECO (protein testing) in Las Vegas and Michigan. I also participated in a course for our previous AA instrument (minerals) in Florida. Since starting my new role, I have taken courses for PCQI, HACCP, SPC, internal auditing, and SQF certification. My favorite training and what I feel was the most useful was the LeadR program. 

Tell us about your career path and how you have gotten to where you are today? 

I started as a Lab Technician in 2009 at LSFI. Although I always had a love for science, this was my first lab job and I was excited about the opportunity. I embraced any chance to learn and grow within the lab. I kept a positive attitude and forward motion throughout my Agropur career. I moved from Lab Tech to trainer, to coordinator, then Lab Supervisor in 2017. Thanks to the encouragement of my mentors within Agropur and my dedication to excel, in May of 2020, I became the Quality Manager at LSFI. 

How has Agropur supported your growth within the company? 

I believe Agropur embraces the value of personal development within its employees. They understand if an employee’s abilities and talent grows, the company grows too. The lead program is a direct example of this. This program gave me the tools to improve myself and my Leadership. I greatly enjoyed this program and have since then used the tools within my team. We did personality tests, discussed how our personality can affect communication and how to communicate with someone with a certain personality type (I’m a Red). I also used the leadership tools to have interactive training on communication, collaboration, and lab safety. We even had the techs find the eyewash station blindfolded; this was a great team-building exercise while embracing the importance of chemical safety.  

What does your current role entail, and what kind of things do you work on? 

I am the Quality Manager at LSFI. I spend most of my day ensuring safe, quality products in one form or another. This may be walking through the plant to check on how the facility is cared for or GMP practices. It may be investigating CAPAs, complaints, or preparing for a new product. My favorite part of my job is the latest projects and improvements. I prefer being busy and problem-solving (I love puzzles). At LSFI, we have a unique opportunity to dry many different products for many different customers. This allows us to often have trials, new products, and new opportunities. 

Why do you love Agropur? 

The culture and support of Agropur has allowed me and many others to grow into being better people and better employees. I enjoy my job and the people I work with. The connection and camaraderie of our team make for a stimulating and productive work environment. We can think together, laugh together and improve together. Teamwork makes the dream work. #Agropurstrong