Getting to Know Your Customer Service Representative: Jerry Beaver

Jerry is truly a renaissance man. His skills and interests run the gamut, from his military service and gem faceting to growing prize winning tomatoes and competitive tractor pulling. But most importantly he’s a family man who happens to deliver top notch customer service to pipe producers around the globe. His greatest joy on the job is when he, “knows we’ve hit a home run!”  This success can be as minor as providing an answer to a simple question to accurately identifying a rack and pinion to fit a 1940s model R McCracken pipe machine. Whether working on a “ship today” for a critical part or providing a quote for a machine rebuild Jerry always excels at satisfying our customers’ needs. Jerry began at Besser in Sioux City, Iowa, as a fabricator, creating the parts for pipe equipment. His next move was to the purchasing department where he was responsible for sourcing raw materials and machine components. In 2002 he joined the customer service department where he now applies all his knowledge to assist producers with their questions and parts orders. Jerry was born and raised in South Dakota. He’s the eldest of 13 children raised on a 1000 acre, 30 cow dairy farm, which was also home to a variety of horses, Saint Bernards, chickens and a donkey they used to herd animals. The work ethic he gained growing up on the farm set the stage for his success which began at the University of South Dakota where he earned an Associate’s degree in architecture and civil engineering . He spent 3 -1/2 years at college in ROTC studying engineering before returning to help on the farm when his dad’s health began to fail.  Before he was called home Jerry spent time overseas as part of an operations engineering team. The team’s mission was building bridges over rivers and returning usable equipment to the United States. Returning home he put his engineering and organizational skills to use as co-owner of a surveying company performing work throughout Iowa. Jerry found great satisfaction working with contractors on projects, including water and sewer projects and bridges. The last significantly large project his company did before it closed in 1985, when the economy tanked, was the Southern Hills Mall in Sioux City, Iowa. Jerry then joined General Motors. From 1985 to 1992 he was a supervisor for the Single Point Fuel Injection System. In this capacity he supervised 67 people in areas of manufacturing and maintenance. A devoted father, spending time with his two sons, Eric and Chris, is of utmost importance to Jerry.  The three of them, along with one of his brothers, enjoy competitive tractor pulling throughout the midwestern US (they have tractors for each fleet and class). When time permits Jerry also enjoys woodworking. After 13 years he knows our customer base inside and out but is quick to admit there are still challenging questions presented to him. His resourcefulness is a wonderful tool for providing accurate answers and guidance. His incredibly varied knowledge and diverse talents can be applied in a lot of different industries; we’re thrilled that concrete has gotten into his blood and this Renaissance man chose to devote himself to serving members of the concrete pipe industry. Jerry can be reached by phone +1.989.354.4111 ext. 1834 or by email jbeaver@besser.com.