Meet The Locals: Jeffery Krosch

August 22, 2017

Get peace of mind with a steady job and benefits. Otter Tail Lakes Country offers a wide range of job opportunities. In 2016, the unemployment rate here was 3.1%, as opposed to the national rate of 4.9%. Most people value great working conditions, fair wages, on-the-job training, great co-workers, and job security, but having a good job also allows more freedom to get involved with the community and to properlyu enjoy one’s leisure time. Our interview with Jeff Krosch is a glimpse at a man who enjoys juggling a steady job, a growing family, civic service, the arts, and his love of the outdoors!

[This interview can be found on page 18 & 19 of our 2017 Otter Tail Lakes Country Relocation Guide]

What community do you live in?

I live right outside of New York Mills with my wife, Lorilee, and our three kids: Andrew (10), Aidan (7) and Aurora (2).

Were you raised in Otter Tail County?

I was born in Alexandria and lived in the small town of Garfield, but I’ve spent the majority of my time in Otter Tail County and some of the nearby counties. Family-wise: part of my family lives in this area and is from this area. The other side of my family is in the Eagle Bend area from Blue Earth on the Iowa boarder. My wife spent her whole life in New York Mills.

What is your occupation?

I am a 3^rd shift (2pm – 11pm) Production Assistant Supervisor [for Shearer’s Snack Foods] and have been for roughly 9 years, but am approaching 14 years with the company. I climbed pretty quickly from being a Line Packager to a Machine/Fryer Operator up to an Assistant in less than 5 years and I have a 2^nd class boiler license.

Do you work in a specific region of Shearer’s Snack Foods?

I work in the potato chip production region of our plant, but having this license gives me the flexibility as part of the supervising staff to go back and forth from the snack and chip departments as needed because we have 3 boilers that we run that require this licensing

What inspired you to pursue a career with Shearer’s Snacks?

I had never worked in factory before so I thought I’d try something new. I had worked in customer service, food service and sales, and even a technologies firm at one point, but the big driving force for me was the need for something for “now” as well as the “future.” I had just gotten married 2 months before getting hired at Shearer’s Snacks and things like insurance benefits and retirement were things I needed.

How is the commute from New York Mills to Perham?

I don’t dread the drive. It’s only about 15 miles from my home so depending on weather (the great state of Minnesota likes to throw curve balls), it’s usually about a 12 ½ minute drive one way. I’ve never really paid attention to the miles.

What are some activities you enjoy outside of work?

I’m one of the local scout leaders, so part of what I do outside of work is scouting and my two oldest are cub scouts. The scouts are very active in helping maintain local trails, so I’ve been recently exposing my kids to hiking in this area – the North Country Trail, a very amazing trail, and Maplewood State Park. I have done a fair amount of fishing and hunting in this area, there is a lot of good land for hunting.

What do you enjoy about living in Otter Tail County?

I’m big into the arts and it’s been a wonderful experience to see the things that weren’t here when I was younger to be here now. There are new experiences to have and things to see and lots of historical entities throughout the county.

What advice would you give to new residents of Otter Tail County?

Don’t hesitate to get out there. There are so many things that you would find that you would enjoy. Whether it’s going to a local coffee house, or enjoying history, finding great places to eat, or great spots for fishing, we’ve got something for everyone. And Otter Tail County is a hub for everything around us as well. We’ve got access to so much in our surrounding communities as well.