At Ag Leader, we value quality. Guided by our four core values – Excellence, Approachability, Ready-Willing-Doing, and the Courage to do What is Right, each of our departments strive to produce products they are proud to stand behind, never compromising on quality. Because we operate in a culture of continuous improvement, our product failure rate is less than 1.5%. While we are proud of that achievement, it also drives us to improve that number each day.
That commitment to quality also extends to the people we hire. As a part of the Ag Leader family, our employees value ethics, relationships, trust, and integrity while thriving in an atmosphere that is not only innovative and welcoming but encourages ideas and creativity.
One of those employees is Gustavo Mancini.
Growing up in southern Brazil, in the small city of Cambé in Paraná State, agriculture was always a part of Gustavo Mancini’s life. His grandparents grew coffee beans, a crop once central to the region’s economy. But when a devastating black frost struck in 1975, wiping out around 80% of the crop, it reshaped both the region’s agricultural landscape and his family’s livelihood.
In the years that followed, Gustavo’s parents began farming soybeans and corn, and his earliest memories include helping his dad in the fields. That hands-on experience fostered a deep appreciation for farming and planted the seed for what would later become his career.
At 18, Gustavo left home to study mechanical engineering in Curitiba, the capital of Paraná. His curiosity and drive soon took him beyond Brazil’s borders, first to UC Davis in California for a year and a half as an undergraduate exchange student, and later to Aachen, Germany, for an internship at Fraunhofer IPT.
“It took me seven years to finish my degree, but it was worth it,” he says. “Those experiences gave me a global perspective and helped me discover where I wanted to focus my career.”
When he returned to Brazil, a tech support internship with Ag Leader caught his attention. “Before that, I had never heard of precision agriculture,” Gustavo recalls. “But I knew I wanted to work for a company connected to farming.”
That decision set him on a path that has now spanned eight years with Ag Leader, where today he serves as Support & Warehouse Operations Manager for Ag Leader Latin America and Territory Manager for Paraná State.
AL: What do you like most about working at Ag Leader?
GM: Working at Ag Leader is very dynamic, and I enjoy that. I also appreciate the company’s values, which fit mine. Besides that, I like the opportunities to travel around Latin America and learn more about agriculture in different regions. Our products help farmers around the world work better!
AL: What does it mean to you to work for a company that is family owned and operated?
GM: To me, it means the company cares about you. A person is more than a number, and the work environment is supportive.Working for a company that is family owned and operated also means there are more opportunities to grow and learn how to make decisions.
AL: How do you ensure quality each day in your role?
GM: Since most of my tasks are related to customer satisfaction, I do my best to provide the best support to our dealer network focusing on training and developing their knowledge.
AL: If there was one thing you want farmers to know about Ag Leader and the products we create, what would it be?
GM: Ag Leader creates products focused on a farmer’s needs that will help them to be more efficient and productive.
AL: In your time at Ag Leader, can you share an achievement or experience you are most proud of and why?
GM: I’ve collected many good experiences at Ag Leader, but the most recent one has been testing SureForce® in Brazil. It has taught me many concepts around planting, agronomy, and engineering.
AL: What do you like to do in your free time?
GM: I like to practice sports, go out with my wife, hang out with friends, and travel abroad to see and learn new cultures. •
ABOUT THIS SERIES
In the We Are Ag Leader series, we will introduce you to a wide array of people who work at Ag Leader. Our founder, Al Myers, created Ag Leader in 1992 with one mission in mind: To provide a workplace that challenges and motivates individuals to create and deliver innovative products.
Ultimately, addressing the wants and needs of farmers is our number one priority. We exist to enhance the lives of farmers around the world by developing proven precision farming technology that exceeds farmers’ expectations.