In a career that has spanned four decades, Don North, director of product development and quality control, has seen many changes within MFA Oil. When he got his start, the company sold leaded gasoline and high-sulfur diesel and offered one-year credit terms. Throughout the years, North has worn many hats in service to the cooperative, but his time with the company is coming to a close. He has announced he will retire on Feb. 26.
North got his start as a bulk plant manager for Centerview (now Warrensburg) in 1979, a job he held for seven years.
“Don’s time working in the field helped him understand what our farmers and customers need from their fuels and lubricants,” says Jon Ihler, president and CEO. “Whether he’s talking to delegates at district meetings or customers on the phone, he’s always been excellent at explaining the technical specifics of our products and how that ties into their real-world applications. Don’s always been a proponent of offering products that are lab-tested and field approved.”
Following his time as a plant manager, North served two years as a training agent, which kept him busy. “We averaged an acquisition a month back in those days, so I got to train a lot of new managers and CSRs,” North says.
It was during one such acquisition that Jose Case recalls his first opportunity to work with North. He was working an acquisition in the West Central District, and North had asked him to drive a truck back to the company truck shop in Columbia.
“Don’s only instructions were ‘Be careful; the truck won’t turn left.'” Case, who now serves as a senior acquisitions manager, says. “Being the great planner he was, he did provide me a route that got to the warehouse with only one left turn. But he did forget to mention the air conditioning didn’t work. It wasn’t all bad, though – there was a gaping hole in the floorboard that provided great airflow and allowed me to count the yellow stripes down the Interstate on my way back to Columbia.”
For the next four years, North served as sales manager for the West Central District, a position he enjoyed because of the opportunities he had to work with many great plant managers, CSRs and farmer-members. North formed strong ties with delegates, many of whom became lifelong friends.
North then moved on to oversee the maintenance department and the company’s distribution center in California, Mo. He added responsibility for marketing the co-op’s fuels and lubricants and business development to his duties before long. During his time in business development, North traveled to many trade shows, local events and farmer lunches. He would often bring the company’s barbecue grill with him to cook at these events.
“I’ve never had a bad meal while Don has been in charge of the food,” says Tom May, senior director of culture and employee engagement. “If he weren’t handling quality control for MFA Oil, I think Don would be running a restaurant and bar on the water at the Lake of the Ozarks and spending all the profits on gas for his boat. No matter where Don has gone or what he’s asked to do, he does it and gives it his all. His selfless attitude and involvement have made company functions fun and enjoyable for so many years.”
Zach Studer, technical support specialist, who has worked with North both in the lab and behind the grill preparing food for company events, says the amount of work North put in behind the scenes may surprise his coworkers.
“Don has spent numerous nights and weekends preparing presentations, organizing meetings and cooking meals,” Studer says. “He has always been the first to arrive, the last to leave, and the last to eat. Although between me, you, and the lamppost, he may snack on the food while he cooks. But that’s part of quality control, right?”
North took on the responsibility of managing the MFA Oil laboratory in 2003. When the lab moved to Moberly, Mo., in 2015, North went with it. He added facility manager for the Business Support Campus to his list of duties.
Looking back on his career, North is most proud of starting the company’s bulk oil delivery service, seeing the lab go from processing eight oil or fuel samples a day to more than 70 a day and helping with countless delegate meetings.
“Don has played a key role in our product quality and making sure we’ve kept up with advancements in the industry,” Ihler says. “His extensive knowledge of our fuels and lubricants has been invaluable to the cooperative. He’s been able to help many of our members, customers and employees through his work at our lab. They knew they were in good hands when they were working with Don.”
In a recently produced promotional video for BOSS Performance Diesel, North explained his and the co-op’s stance on quality.
“Many of our competitors have multiple levels of products and will offer a good, better and best,” he said. “We’ve never taken that philosophy. We want to sell only the best. A lot of times, if you look at what the equipment manufacturers require or recommend, you can still make it better.”
Studer says North never missed an opportunity to share his wisdom and expertise with the people around him.
“I can recount many times when I have gone to him for answers and instead, all I got was a barrage of additional questions,” Studer says. “At the time, I remember thinking, ’All I need is the answer to my question, why can’t you answer the question?’ What I realized later was that he was teaching me to ask the right questions so I could find the answer myself.”
In retirement, North looks forward to spending time with his family and grandchildren, getting more involved in volunteer work and tackling a list of long-overdue projects around his house and shop.