Grow With Us: The People of Felling, Lloyd Shoutz, Maintenance Technician

Felling Trailers has been proudly manufacturing trailers for over 45 years trailers. Join us as we take a look back and see how much our company, along with our employees, has grown. Many of you may already know the story of how Felling Trailers started as a small fabrication shop in downtown Sauk Centre in 1974. Continuing to add to this story, we invite you to read our “Grow with Us Series – 20.” Here you will meet the people of Felling; we will share a bit about the people who have played a part in what our company is today and where we will be tomorrow. Some of the people you will meet have been with us for many years, some decades, and others are starting their careers. We would like you to meet Lloyd Shoutz, Maintenance Technician, Felling Trailers, Inc., Litchfield to continue our series.

Meet Lloyd

Lloyd joined the Felling Trailers team in April of 2013, taking on the position of Final Assembler in the Litchfield location. As a Final Assembler on the finishing team, Lloyd and his teammates handled the final assembly process of almost a third of the 140 different models that Felling manufactures. In finishing, final assemblers are the last step in the build process of a trailer, following the assembly checklists and drawings; this is where a trailer receives the wiring, lighting, decking, hydraulics, and any bolt-on accessories to the customer’s specifications.

Finding the Right Fit

During his first year with Felling, Lloyd transitioned from the Final Assembly team to Weld Production. Lloyd worked on the weld line; here, he would read and interpret the trailer’s blueprints and drawings then prep the materials needed for the trailer build. This process entails the cutting, fitting, and welding of the metal materials to the Felling Trailers’ weld standard, resulting in the production of a trailer.

In the spring of 2014, Lloyd accepted the position of Maintenance Technician. In his time before Felling Trailers, Lloyd worked as a CNC Technician. He traveled across the country fixing CNC and plasmas with his job, utilizing his ESABE Plasma education. As part of the Maintenance team, Lloyd can use his technical skills to ensure the plant and production equipment are working in optimum condition. From daily preventative maintenance (PMS planned maintenance system) to repairs, Lloyd helps keep the Litchfield facility’s essential equipment, such as welders, airlines, saws, drills, paint booth, forklifts, etc., in top condition. Even one piece of equipment down affects production time, so keeping it maintained and in working order is crucial. “I like my position,” said Lloyd. Each day is something a little different, always a variety of things to do.

Since joining the Felling Trailers team eight years ago, Lloyd has seen and been a part of the company’s rapid growth and change. When he started in 2013, the facility had been open for a little more than a year. Many improvements have happened to the production floor and the facilities in Litchfield and Sauk Centre locations. We are glad to have Lloyd as part of our team. Thank you, Lloyd!

Learn more about Joining the Felling Trailers Team!

Are you interested in becoming part of the Felling Team? Learn more about a career at Felling Trailers and grow with us!

This is the twentieth feature in our “Grow with Us” series.  Read the other stories about Warren Weber, Product Manager, Scott Brown, Parts & Service Supervisor, Jim Robischion, Accounting Coordinator, Wade Skillings, Lead Machine Operator, Jacob Meyer, Inside Trailer Sales, Bob Vangstad, Painter, Chad Steinhofer, Lead Welder, Benji Hudalla, Final Inspector, Nathan Uphus, Sales, Sheri Leonard, Human Resource & Safety Coordinator, and Kristie Moritz, Scheduling Coordinator.