Name: Austin Wade
Hometown: Prague, NE
Years at PVE: 3
Position: Field Service Technician
Walk into the Wahoo service area and you might hear a few bars of “Your Love” by the Outfield. It won’t be coming from a radio. It will be coming from a service truck parked near the door. Austin Wade’s to be exact.
“I love singing. All the other guys know it,” Austin laughs.
After graduating from the JDTech program in Milford, Austin joined Platte Valley Equipment full-time as an in-shop technician at our Wahoo location. Now, he’s serving customers as a field service technician.
“I’ve always been the person who tinkers with things and thought that was something I could do as my career.”
Austin put life to his dreams thanks to his ag teacher at Prague Public Schools.
“I always wanted to be out in the shop during class work. I never wanted to be in the classroom working.” One day, his teacher pulled him aside and asked if a career as a technician was something he’d be interested in. The rest is history.
Austin chose Platte Valley for a few reasons. One was the proximity to his hometown. One was the tuition reimbursement sponsorship to complete the JDTech program. The most important reason? The people.
“Coming to work and seeing a smile on pretty much everyone’s face – or at least getting a hello – makes the day go a little bit better. Everybody keeps each other going. When somebody runs into a snag on a project, everyone’s always willing to help or give advice.”
Austin has grown a lot in his time at Platte Valley.
“I’ve heard several customers the last few months comment on their positive experience with Austin on field service calls,” said Ross Miller, store lead at Wahoo. “Austin shows great determination to get the job done, is well liked and respected among his peers, and is a great team player. He embodies the values that Platte Valley exhibits regarding superior customer service.”
“In the last 6 months, Austin has shown great improvement in his efficiency and quality of work,” said Andrew Hespen, service manager at Wahoo. “He has grown from asking many questions on how to repair and diagnose to answering a lot of questions from customers and other techs. Along with great feedback from customers, Austin is becoming a main team player for the Wahoo shop.”
Austin’s favorite memory on the job happened during harvest early in his career. “Schyler Shanahan and I had just finished up a long Saturday. The customer had slugged his combine and called in to ask for help getting up and going. We didn’t leave that night until 9:30 or later. The customer brought us supper and pop.”
Why does this particular memory stand out? “It shows that we don’t turn people away just because we’re tired. We’re always willing to give a helping hand. It’s fulfilling to see a machine running and know that I was a part of that customer’s success.”
In his free time, Austin enjoys hunting, fishing, four-wheeling, relaxing, and tinkering. He’s currently completing an engine for a ‘95 GMC 1500 and fixing up a ‘78 Dodge W150.
Congratulations on being nominated as Wahoo’s Pride of Platte Valley!
