This month we are pleased to recognize Jim Loftus, our outside electrician who has provided great service to the Wheat Marketing Center for many years. Of particular note is his work on installing and maintaining the pilot scale cracker line. The line was manufactured to Roy Chung’s specifications by a Thai engineering company in 2013. Installation was made more challenging by the time difference and lack of a common language, with many late nights spent on FaceTime trying to sort through the issues. Fast forward to 2021 and Jim continues to be WMC’s go-to guy for cracker line maintenance and upgrade. Jim also works on other equipment in the innovation lab, including the Asian noodle and tortilla lines, and addresses all electrical needs that arise with new and old equipment.

Looking ahead to his eventual retirement, Jim has been training a younger colleague on the many quirks of WMC’s operations. While we are not ready to let Jim go, it is nice to know that the institutional knowledge is being shared. Thank you, Jim, for your help in keeping our equipment running smoothly in support of the U.S. wheat industry.