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By Crystal Reith As a kid, Doug Sieve always had an interest in mechanics.
“I really took a lot of interest in the mechanical program while at Worthington High School,” said Sieve, who grew up in the Wilmont area. “I was part of the ag mechanics team that took second in state. High school really encouraged me to pursue mechanics.”
Following high school, Sieve graduated with a diesel mechanic degree from Canby Votech in 1979. He started in a mechanical position with John Deere in Jackson and worked there until 1985.
He took on various jobs related to mechanics before eventually switching to a sales job with Tracy Equipment.
In July 1992, he accepted a mechanic position with C&B in Slayton. Sieve will retire from C&B on Thursday, Sept. 11.
“I’m very grateful to have a career that has continued with C&B. I thank the ownership for employing me for that many years,” said Sieve. “I’ve enjoyed working with the staff and clients. There’s a lot of nice people out there and you get to know them. I’ve acquired a lot of friends by being a mechanic in Slayton and doing sales in Tracy.”
In addition to enjoying the relationships he has built over the years, Sieve also appreciates the feeling of contentment that comes with fixing things that are broken.
“There’s satisfaction in making something usable again,” said Sieve, who noted that the farm equipment industry presents plenty of challenges, especially when it comes to computers and technology. “Technology is really taking over and there are challenges in learning how to navigate through the computers and reprogram software. The biggest challenge is trying to manipulate the computer and use it as a diagnostic tool.”
However, Sieve encourages anyone interested in agriculture to pursue the mechanical field as he believe it is very rewarding.
“Kids today are way ahead as far as computer skills and being comfortable with computers. Technology is progressing fast and it’s only going to increase,” said Sieve, of Slayton. “If you like computers and precision farming, this would be a great field to get into.”
As Sieve steps away from the field, he looks forward to spending more time with his family – his wife Lynette, four adult children Bridget, Justin, Colin and Travis, their spouses and nine grandchildren.’
“We plan to do some travelling. There are some places in the United States that we haven’t had time to go to. There are some projects around our home. Things you put off for years that now I might have time to take in,” said Sieve. “All the stuff that you don’t have time for that you wish you did when you’re working.”
