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R&S Blog

Monday, January 30, 2023

Living The John Deere Dream

By Elise Opicka, Human Resources Manager


Pictured: Chris on his first day of school at MATC (2005)

In 2005, Chris Timm started working at Riesterer & Schnell the day after he graduated from high school.  He was a Shop Helper, during the summer, doing whatever was needed to support the Service Technicians preparing and repairing agricultural equipment.  Chris was comfortable around this equipment, having grown up on a family dairy farm, and helping other neighboring farmers.

His passion for John Deere equipment has been a life-long one!  Fortunately, his mother knew Chris loved John Deere equipment, and she urged him to check out Riesterer & Schnell’s Technical School Sponsorship program, where 100% of school tuition and books are paid for by the company.  Chris partnered with R&S in this tuition reimbursement program to get his Technical Degree from the John Deere Program at Madison Area Technical College.  He was able to practice what he was learning by working part-time at the R&S dealership when his school schedule allowed.

When Chris graduated from the MATC John Deere Program in 2007, he was offered a full-time job at the R&S Hortonville location as an Ag Service Technician.  He thought that his career would be staying in the shop fixing equipment, but an offsite sprayer service call introduced him to the idea of becoming a Road Service Technician.  In 2009, Chris obtained his Advanced Service Technician Certificate from John Deere and decided to become a full-time Road Technician, working mostly onsite with customers.  He found that he actually preferred the travel and customer interaction, as he worked on a variety of equipment and repairs.

In 2016, Chris achieved Master Service Technician Status through John Deere University.  R&S has been honored to work with Chris for 18 years now, and we look forward to continuing to celebrate his growth and accomplishments.  Chris says that he, “Loves working with R&S.  It has been a great company to work for.  The people you work with every day is what makes it enjoyable.  It is a flexible company.  I can be available for the kids’ sporting events or doctor appointments.  There are definitely some long days, but it balances out.”  When not at work, Chris runs a cattle farm and spends time with his wife and 3 kids.

Click here to learn more about the Riesterer & Schnell Degree Sponsorship Program.


Pictured: Chris in the R&S Hortonville shop (2023)


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