Trevor, what do you do!

It seems I always get asked, what do you do? Even when I was in Elm Creek where we lived for many years, people still didn't know what I did. So here goes, it's a little hard to explain.

My title is Product Marketing Manager - Crop Production
Short version: I guide the company as to what seeding and spraying products we need to develop. (I work primarily looking 1 to 5 years down the road).
Long version: I'm responsible for

• customer needs assessment for product development
• market assessment
• development process liason between the product platform (product management team of which I'm a part) and the commerical marketing groups for each region
• Product knowledge transfer of a newly developed product to the Commercial Marketing and Marketing Communications group in order to commercialize a product. (for those who aren't sure, commercialize means once we start selling a new product).
• For all markets globally where we sell my products (currently North America, CIS countries (Russia, Ukraine, Kazahkstan) and Australia.
• My Products include, Air Carts, Air Seeders (hoe drills, precision hoe drills, disc drills) and sprayers (some pics at the bottom)

New Holland Ag is a brand of CNH (CaseNewHolland). CNH include NH Construction, CaseIH Ag and Case Contruction. CNH is a division of the FIAT Group, which includes many companies such as Fiat Auto (European automobile manufacturer), Iveco engine (large diesel engines), Alpha Romeo, and Ferrari and others http://www.fiatgroup.com/home.php?lang=en and no, I do not get an employee discount on a Ferrari.

I work at the Saskatoon Manufacturing plant which manufactures (for all brands NH, Flexicoil, CIH):

• Seeding equipment for the world
• Pull type sprayers for the world
• Planters for North America
• all Headers for North America
• Tillage equipment for the world

So that's the scoop. I like my job and I like the company and I'm always passionate about my products.

Where I've been lately

It's been a very interesting and busy year so far. Starting this new job has been a great experience. The other new experience has been where I've been travelling to. I've done lots of travelling in previous jobs before, so Melanie's accustomed to my monthly trips, however prior jobs had me travelling just within Canada. Working for a global company really expands your horizons. Since I'm responsible for NAR, Australia, Russian, Kazahkstan and the Ukraine or anywhere else we may sell airseeders in the future, I am, for the first time, really experiencing a bit of the whole world. It has been very interesting.



So far, aside from lots of trips in the USA, I've been to Paris, France and South Eastern Australia.

Europe was different. It was my first experience in a country where I did not know the language. Grade 9 French was a bit of a help as I could say words I read on a menu or sign, but I didn't necessarily know what I was saying. Luckily I was with my European counterpart from Belgium who spoke French.



Travel tip, for those of you going over there. Food portions are small and don't order steak, it's not very good and apparently this holds true throughout most of Europe. The picture above is the Eiffel Tower in the background if you didn't figure that out.






Oh, another tip - if you are travelling in Paris without your wife, don't call home from the top of the Eiffel tower to rub it in!!!








I just got back from 2 weeks in Australia. I was really looking forward to the trip as I have always wanted to go there. It was a good trip, but I was a little disappointed as it was not as different as I expected. I felt it was actually more like Canada than the States. I traveled through farming and wine country from Melbourne to the Northern edge of New South Wales, then a long drive back down the coast to Sydney. Overall, nice country, very friendly. The food wasn't the best, I was really craving a good hamburger when I landed in Los Angeles. The hotels were not was I was accustomed to either. I don't know, maybe I'm getting spoiled. We actually stayed in motels for the most part, with little in the way of heat, a large crack around the outside of the doors, and permanently open windows in the bathrooms. Probably not big issues when it's warm, but it was winter over there so it got close to zero overnight. Imagine a bathroom with the temperature at close to zero all night. Sit down for business in the morning and GOOD MORNING!!! you're awake in a flash. Highly recommended foods over there; Mrs.Mac's Meat pies and Kebabs. Very good, from convience or take out food stores. By the way, the Sausage McMuffins at McDonald's taste different (not as good as here). Here's a pic from our short sightseeing mission on the last day.

By the way, it was pretty cool and windy that day. If your looking at travelling to Australia, I would suggest heading to the North. Spending time in Sydney or Melbourne is no different than going to Vancouver (with accents).

Sorry for the long blog entry, just getting you caught up!

Talk to you soon.

Caught Up!

Hi everyone, (if anyone is bothering to read this).
I've always prided myself on being on the technological edge. But one of the signs that I'm getting older is the fact that I'm either not on the edge, or it's a pretty dull edge.

ANYWAY

what I'm trying to say is that I guess I should join the BLOG revolution. I thought I would do this mostly so my family can keep tabs on what's going on when I'm travelling. My supposed "World Phone" has not yet proven itself dependable. My hours when travelling also do not fit well into quality phone conversations about how my trip is going, what I'm seeing etc. Contrary to what some people may think, my days are pretty full from 7AM to 8 or 9 or later PM.

I will try to update this with thoughts and pictures from the road. I'll also post when I'm home for those who are visiting here because they have too much time on their hands!