Name: Jeremy Vanek
Hometown: West Point, NE
Service Technician
Years at PVE: 7
If you time your visit to the Clarkson shop just right, you might hear some polka music coming through the speakers. That would be Jeremy’s choice. It’s not the music you’d guess until you meet Jeremy in real life.
Jeremy grew up in town in West Point. The son of a John Deere technician, Jeremy developed his love for mechanics early. He always enjoyed tinkering and understanding how things worked. This interest led him to the Chrysler auto mechanic program at Southeast Community College – despite his dad’s cautions.
“Dad told me to never become a mechanic, but I didn’t listen,” Jeremy recalled with a laugh. “I took a tour of Milford, and they had all these older cars that go fast. That’s exactly what I wanted to work on.”
Upon graduation, reality wasn’t quite as rosy. The recession hit, Chrysler struggled, and the work started to dry up. Being a commission-based technician, the slow times were difficult. That’s when Jeremy’s dad offered a potential solution.
“My father suggested I work with him on the ag side,” Jeremy said. “The work was consistent, and the pay was good. So, I switched over to ag and we worked in the same shop for a while. I figured the ag side would be similar work because it was still turning wrenches, but wow was I ever wrong!”
Jeremy experienced a challenging learning curve when he started in ag. The tools were different, and the customers were different. Not to mention the fact that Jeremy had never even driven a tractor.
“Dad likes to say that when I first started, all I knew was that tires were round and black,” Jeremy laughed. “Now, the more I learn, the faster I get. The faster I can work, the bigger difference I can make by serving more customers. It’s a challenging job that’s not for everyone, but there’s a sense of pride and fulfillment when you’re able to save a customer’s day.”
Today, Jeremy mentors other technicians and customers request him to work on their machines.
"Jeremy has become a very good technician that customers request by name,” said Billy Indra, Clarkson service manager. “He has been a big help to the young technicians in the shop by getting them started in the right direction.”
“Jeremy is an outstanding technician who is always willing to help the customers get back in the field,” commented Darren Gall, Clarkson store lead. “He is always willing to help train the new technicians and they grow from his knowledge.”
Jeremy’s Platte Valley story began shortly after he switched from autos to ag. He originally started in the Wahoo service shop. A service request turned job offer took Jeremy and his wife to Hawaii for a few years before returning to Nebraska. Jeremy has since spent time working in all four Platte Valley locations. It was the inviting family atmosphere that initially sparked his interest in PVE.
“When I interviewed for my original position in Wahoo, the service manager gave me a tour and introduced me to everyone there,” Jeremy said. “I didn’t know a soul, but everyone was talking to me like they’d known me for 50 years. That’s the attitude at all four stores. You walk in and you just feel like you belong.”
When he’s not in the shop, Jeremy enjoys life as a self-described “hobby farmer” with his wife, Ashley. Together they raise enough chickens, ducks, pigs and produce to feed half the county. Off the farm, they enjoy motorcycle adventures and making memories with friends and family.
Congratulations on being nominated as Clarkson’s Pride of Platte Valley!