Felling Trailers has been proudly manufacturing trailers for over 45 years trailers. Join us as we take a look back and see how much our company, along with our employees, has grown. Many of you may already know the story of how Felling Trailers started as a small fabrication shop in downtown Sauk Centre in 1974. Continuing to add to this story, we invite you to read our “Grow with Us Series – 24.” Here you will meet the people of Felling; we will share a bit about the people who have played a part in what our company is today and where we will be tomorrow. Some of the people you will meet have been with us for many years, some decades, and others are starting their careers. To continue our series, we would like you to meet Chris Senger, Senior Material Handler, Felling Trailers, Inc., Sauk Centre.
In July we celebrate our employees at Felling Trailers. We know that without each and every team member doing their part, we would not be where we are today.
“Thank you all for your hard work and positive attitudes! We appreciate and are grateful for each one of you!”
-Brenda, Bonnie, Pat and Paul (Felling Trailers’ Ownership)
Chris Senger
Senior Material Handler
Name: Chris Senger
Status: 7 years
Title: Senior Material Handler
Felling: a Veteran-Owned Company
Chris joined the Felling Trailers’ team in February of 2015 as part of the Finishing/Final Assembly team. The Finishing department is the last step in the production process of a trailer build before it ships to a dealer/end user. Before his time with Felling, Chris had worked in various manufacturing environments, including a welding shop, tire recap shop, and a printing company. He then worked as a mechanic/inspector at Camp Ripley, a military & civilian training facility operated by the Minnesota National Guard. Chris was a full-time member of the Minnesota Army National Guard as a Sergeant First Class, retiring after 30 years of service. His strong ties to his line of service were part of the reason Chris chose Felling Trailers to be where he worked. “It was a veteran-owned company and close to the Eagle’s Healing Nest where I volunteer,” said Chris.
The Role of the Finishing Team at Felling
The Finishing team takes the painted trailer frame and brings it to its completed state, ready to ship. The more standard trailers entail lights, wiring, brakes (electric, hydraulic surge, or air), decking, and final inspection. For the custom builds, this includes all that, plus plumbing air/hydraulic lines for ramps, tilt decks, winches, and more, depending on the trailer build. Each person has specific tasks that contribute to the completion of a given trailer, whether that be the material handler delivering the needed materials or the assembler running the brake lines. Each is as important as the next to accomplish the goal of a finished quality trailer.
Transitioning to the Senior Material Handler
After about a year in the Finishing Department, Chris transitioned to his current position as Yardman/Senior Material Handler. “The move was due partly to some physical reasons and to be outside more too,” Chris said. A good amount of Chris’s day is spent handling incoming steel and freight trucks, off-loading materials, and seeing that the correct amount and appropriate quality is received. He then delivers materials to their warehouse locations and provides materials to the weld production areas.
Staying Active in the Military Community
Even in his retirement from the national guard, Chris has stayed very active in the military community. He is a past VFW Commander, American Legion Commander, Commander of the American Legion Riders Club, and executive board member for the Legion and VWF. He has been awarded the Civil Servant of the Year for Minnesota twice. Chris also volunteers his time at Eagle’s Healing Nest, a non-profit organization committed to meeting the needs of our veterans, service members, and their families who suffer from the invisible wounds of war, serving as the Project Manager.
No Limits to Felling’s Future
Since joining the Felling Trailers team 7-years ago, Chris has seen and been a part of the company’s growth and change. “We’ve added the new office building and the new paint building in the old racetrack area. We’ve added robots for welding and a new laser, changing and growing,” said Chris. When the Powder Coating Paint building construction is complete, the Sauk Centre facility’s foot print will have grown a little over 90,000 sq. ft., from its current 349,000 to 441,000 sq. ft. With people like Chris and all who make up the Felling Trailers team, there are no limits to where the company will be in the future. We are glad to have Chris as part of our team. Thank you, Chris!
Learn more about Joining the Felling Trailers Team!
Are you interested in becoming part of the Felling Team? Learn more about a career at Felling Trailers and grow with us!
This is the twenty-fourth feature in our “Grow with Us” series. Read the other stories about Ron Funk, Machinist, Johnny Woodman, Lead Welder, Ben Myhre, Welding Trainer, Lloyd Shoutz, Maintenance Technician, Warren Weber, Product Manager, Paul Pachan, Night Shift Supervisor, Scott Brown, Parts & Service Supervisor, Jordan Bruggenthies, Paint & Blast, Darwin Bast, Production Weld, Jim Robischion, Accounting Coordinator, Wade Skillings, Lead Machine Operator, Jacob Meyer, Inside Trailer Sales, Bob Vangstad, Painter, Chad Steinhofer, Lead Welder, Benji Hudalla, Final Inspector, Nathan Uphus, Sales, Jeremy Kuperus, Robot Operator & Senior Welder, Sheri Leonard, Human Resource & Safety Coordinator, Brian Lawver, Weld Supervisor, Greg Waletzko, Quality Assurance Manager at Felling Trailers, and Kristie Moritz, Scheduling Coordinator.
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