From Retail to Roots: Kara’s Journey into Agriculture and Leadership
When Kara Eglinton first walked through the doors of Tessenderlo Kerley, she brought with her a wealth of customer service experience - but not a single day in agriculture.
That leap into the unknown became a defining moment in Kara’s career, and what began as a new job quickly blossomed into a career filled with passion, people and a clear purpose: meeting the needs of customers who depend on our products to feed the world.
“Being brought in here opened up a whole new world for me. Not only are we handling customer service, but learning about the agricultural industry has been fantastic,” Kara said. “Even just a simple question of just, ‘How are you doing and how is your day going?’ - it makes all the difference in the world.”
Kara’s natural leadership and dedication didn’t go unnoticed. In just two years, she rose to become Customer Service Supervisor, a role she embraces with pride and purpose.
“We are the front line of the company,” she said. “We’re the ones who are working with the sales representatives. We’re working with customers. We’re doing many more daily tasks that make it a very rewarding job.”
Kara credits much of her growth to the support and opportunities provided by Tessenderlo Kerley. She’s currently enrolled in organizational leadership courses, further sharpening her skills to better serve her team, the company and our customers.
“Anything that we want to learn, things that we want to incorporate into just our knowledge and being able to train, Tessenderlo Kerley will provide that for you,” she said.
For Kara, leadership is about more than just managing tasks - it’s about encouraging and harnessing the strengths of the people on her team who move Tessenderlo Kerley forward.
“Everyone on my team brings their own individual strengths,” she said. “In my new role, I’m making sure that we’re taking care of customers, but also ensuring we take care of each other in the process.”
Kara’s advice to those considering a role at Tessenderlo Kerley?
“You will be great as long as you come in here with a bright attitude, the willingness to learn and the ability to take initiative,” she said. “Being someone who will work well independently, as well as within a team, is what we look for.”