For Nathan Nekali, understanding how every detail impacts the farmer isn’t just part of the job, it’s what drew him to Pipestone in the first place. As a Business Operations intern in the summer of 2024, he learned firsthand just how much goes into ensuring Pipestone puts the farmer first. After his internship, he continued a part-time position while completing his bachelor’s degree in business economics from South Dakota State University. Today, he puts the farmer first in his current role of Supply Chain Analyst for Pipestone Veterinary Services.
As an intern, Nathan was exposed to the many services Pipestone has to offer and the different ways each department works together to better help farmers. Through “intern week,” he toured his peers’ jobs and saw the many things that make Pipestone what it is. A great learning experience and a core memory for Nathan was touring the Wholestone Farms processing facility in Freemont, Nebraska and attending the Young Leaders in Agriculture Conference in Mankato, MN.
Having great people in Nathan’s corner was also a highlight of his internship. “Andrew Niedert and Lance Johnson were my two mentors during that time. Looking back, my experience was so great that it made the decision to come back full time really easy, Nathan said.” These mentors lived out the core values every day and ensured he saw the value in them as well. Now he sees integrity at the forefront of every day “everything that you’re doing, you’re doing with a purpose, and you’re trying to grow as a team and just give the best possible service we can to our customers,” Nathan adds, “it’s easy when you have great people to work with.”
Today, as a full-time Supply Chain Analyst, Nathan completes customer and vendor reports, providing transparency to support process improvements. He also analyzes past data to ensure product pricing is as cost-efficient as possible for farmers. He is passionate about ensuring farmers receive exactly what they need at the correct location and at the day and time they need it. By reviewing data and submitting reports, Nathan plays a key role in omitting errors and improving processes to better serve farmers.
Nathan’s role at Pipestone is pivotal in putting the farmer first. Through both his internship and his current position, he has lived out the Pipestone core values and has taken advantage of meaningful opportunities. He believes Pipestone is not only a great company to build a career, but also an exceptional place to start one as an intern.
As individuals like Nathan continue to grow within Pipestone, a new group is just getting started. Nathan encourages them to take it all in, accept the challenges, and learn what parts they enjoy and what they might not want to do full time in the future. This is a time to grow and learn, and he encourages the interns to take advantage of every opportunity. Nathan’s advice for current and future interns: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions or screw up. Failing is a path forward at times.”
