Heartland AG Systems has hired five interns to join our team for the summer of 2021. As we begin to build a stronger internship program, we are eager to help lead these young professionals throughout the summer by offering them exceptional learning experiences and real-world applications to be used within their future careers.

“We believe implementing an internship program will bring new ideas and proposals into Heartland AG Systems as we are rapidly expanding across a variety of regions in the nation,” said Arnie Sinclair, President at Heartland AG Systems. This summer we have offered internship positions in our marketing, sales, and engineering departments. “With many applications and interviews to follow, we believe we have chosen a high-quality set of individuals to help continually propel Heartland AG Systems and enter our new program.”

Read more below about each of these talented individuals.

Abby Reiner- Marketing Intern 

Abby grew up on a small farm in Hutchinson, MN where her family raises registered Black Angus cow/ calf pairs. She is a recent graduate from South Dakota State University with bachelor’s degrees in Agricultural Communications and Animal Science-Industry. While at SDSU, Abby was heavily involved in Little International, which is the largest student-run livestock exposition in the nation. She was also involved in Sigma Alpha Sorority which focuses on women pursuing careers in agriculture and helping to build personal and professional relationships with individuals who have shared interests. Abby has been a strong advocate for the agriculture industry throughout her life and strives to continue to do so throughout her professional career as well. Outside of work, Abby enjoys teaching private swimming lessons, quilting, and enjoying the outdoors.

Throughout the summer, Abby will be working across our marketing department, assisting with social media, blogs, graphic design, and managing trade shows. “I am very grateful for this opportunity at Heartland AG Systems. The hands-on experience I am getting is already helping grow my skill set,” said Abby. She said she is most excited to get out to our various locations and meet other employees as well as customers and prospects. We are very excited to see the ideas and skills Abby will bring to our Marketing Department.

Erik Karl- Engineering Intern

Erik grew up on a small farm in Roseau, MN where his family mainly grows wheat and soybeans. He is currently a senior at North Dakota State University pursuing bachelor’s degrees in Industrial Engineering and Management with a minor in Manufacturing Engineering. Last summer, Erik was a Manufacturing Engineer Intern at Bobcat in Gwinner, ND. During this internship, he was given many projects which included designing of various parts to assist in assembly, improve worker safety, and help to reduce downtime and optimization of their assembly line. After graduation, Erik hopes to use his degree and experience to work as an engineer within a manufacturing facility. During his free time, Erik enjoys hunting, fishing, golfing, and even cooking. “I enjoy cooking anything, especially international foods,” Erik said.

Erik’s time with Heartland AG Systems will be spent focusing on our cone bottom trailer line and assisting with the documentation of various projects. “I am very eager to learn more about Heartland AG Systems and gain experience within engineering to benefit my future endeavors,” Erik said. Having a background within agriculture will enhance Erik during his internship as he is able understand what our customers want and will be able easily connect with each personnel. Heartland AG Systems is fortunate to have Erik on our team and believe he will fit in nicely.

Bryce Van Eyll- Sales Intern

Bryce grew up in a suburb of the Twin Cities in Chaska, MN. He is currently a senior at the University of Minnesota Duluth pursuing bachelor’s degrees in Marketing and Professional Sales. During his collegiate career, Bryce has been heavily involved in on-campus organizations where he plays a key role in maximizing efficiency of those clubs. Bryce has various experiences within retail sales and can efficiently relate to a diverse audience of customers. Volunteering plays a significant role in Bryce’s life. During his time at UMD, Bryce raised over $1,000 for the Polar Plunge and helped to coordinate and raise $25,00 for the St. Jude Benefit Dinner. When Bryce is not volunteering or working, he enjoys his time outdoors and loves to go golfing with family and friends. After graduation in December, Bryce hopes to find a career that will challenge him to think outside the box and a work experience that is fun and exciting.

This summer Bryce will aid in the construction of our 2022 Parts Catalog, finding efficient ways to automate sales materials, and get the chance to ride along with many of our sales reps within our different territories. “During my time at Heartland AG Systems, I am excited to learn about the agriculture industry and utilize my past experiences to help the company move forward,” Bryce said. We look forward to seeing Bryce bring his forward-thinking ideas to our company through his various projects.

Craig Santema- Engineering Intern

Craig grew up on a diversified farm in Milaca, MN where they raise beef cattle, corn, soybeans, and forages. He is currently a senior at South Dakota State University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering with an estimated graduation date of May 2022. After graduation Craig hopes to find a career with an equipment or machinery manufacturing agribusiness all while staying local to Minnesota. Throughout his colligate career, Craig has completed an internship with Doosan Bobcat in Litchfield, MN where he learned how to apply the knowledge from his education into real world scenarios. He also became very familiar with fabrication, design procedures, and paint equipment and operations. During his free time, Craig likes to attend and participate in many local truck and tractor pulls, hunting, snowmobiling, and helping on his family farm.

Throughout the summer Craig will be overseeing many tasks, documentation of projects, finding ways to enhance the assembly line, and configuring the layout of our welding section. Craig is most excited to learn about how different manufacturing companies operate and produce equipment. “I am looking forward to learning more about application equipment and how I can use my knowledge about agriculture and previous experiences to improve Heartland AG Systems’ Manufacturing facility,” Craig said. We look forward to seeing how Craig will apply his agricultural and engineering experiences to this internship.

Tristen Schulte- Technician Intern

Tristen grew up in Grand Island, Nebraska and is a current high school graduate from Grand Island Central Catholic. He plans to further his education at Southeast Community College in Milford, Nebraska for Diesel-Ag Equipment Service Tech. During his time at GSCC, Tristen was heavily involved in athletics including football, soccer, basketball, wrestling, and trap. Throughout his lifetime, he was also heavily involved in community service by being part of the Young Neighbors in Action and Big Brothers Big Sisters. In his free time, Tristen likes to go hunting, fishing, and compete in archery tournaments.

This summer, Tristen will be given the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of working as a technician within our shops. During this internship, he will be able to focus on agriculture and diesel equipment as he shadows our service technicians. Heartland AG Systems is thrilled to see Tristan use his background knowledge in diesel mechanics and bring those skills into our service team.

Resilience, determination, and perseverance are three words we think best fit our four interns. This summer will be filled with exciting tasks and projects that challenges each of these individuals. “I am excited that we were able to move forward with a small group of interns as a starting point for a more extensive internship program in the future,” said Vickie Shoutz, Human Resources Manager at Heartland AG Systems. “This is one of the key components to identifying potential future employees that will ensure Heartland AG Systems continues to grow and succeed in our market.” Heartland AG Systems is excited to offer customized experiences to help propel these young professionals into their future endeavors and is committed to helping guide the next generation of agriculture.