As a child growing up in Fair Hill, Maryland, in Cecil County Zackary Decker always held an interest in farm equipment, so interning with Cedar Crest Equipment in Quarryville, PA was a natural fit for the second-year IAA student.
Majoring in Agricultural Business Management, Decker jumped at his chance to explore the trade and see if he could picture a career path working with farm equipment. Unlike most internships where the first week of work is comprised of training, Decker had no such introductions to a new job; he jumped right in and learned by watching his coworkers and figuring things out on his own.
Because his duties with Cedar Crest changed day to day, Decker was figuring out something new every day. From repairing silos to replacing a part in a machine for manure management, Decker did it all, and he traveled all over the region, stretching from New York State to North Carolina. Decker put in his 40 hours each weeks, but it was not unusual for him to work a few overtime hours as well, due to the distance of some of Cedar Crest’s clients.
Decker says he thoroughly enjoyed his internship at Cedar Crest Equipment during the summer. When asked what he learned through this internship, Decker shook his head and stated he didn’t know where to start because he gained so much knowledge rom this position. However, after ruminating on the question a bit, he replied that he learned just how important customer satisfaction is, “because it affects almost every aspect of the business.”
Upon the completion of his certificate in Agricultural Business Management from the Institute of Applied Agriculture, Decker wants to receive his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Science. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree, he looks forward to pursuing a career within the agricultural machinery industry. “I found this experience to be very educational,” Decker stated. “With all that I learned over the summer, it will be very helpful in the future and I am really looking forward to starting a career in the agricultural equipment industry.”
