The pitch used to be her domain: Julie Furgala was able to study at the University of New Mexico on a sports scholarship.
Julie Furgala
From the playing field to seed
In our series “My Personal KWS Journey,” we focus on the stories of colleagues and how they came to join KWS. This time it’s the turn of Julie Furgala from Seed Production in the U.S.
Julie Furgala now manages commercial and pre-commercial seed production at the KWS site in Tangent.
Her passion was on the pitch – at least that’s where Julie Furgala’s academic career began. Born in Pearland, a suburb of Houston, Texas, she played soccer successfully during her school years and so was able to win a sports scholarship and go on to gain a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of New Mexico. She took a break from soccer to pursue a master’s degree in Production and Operations Management at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Her dedication paid off: Julie has worked at KWS’ location in Tangent, Oregon, since 2009. She was first responsible for pre-commercial activities in the field and in processing in her capacity as Pre-Commercial Manager. In 2017 she was then appointed Seed Production Manager in charge of commercial and pre-commercial seed production.
New role, same team spirit
This comprises all steps from cultivation of stecklings to harvesting of the seed for experimental and commercial hybrids as well as basic seed. In recent years, Julie has established many standardized processes and improved seed cleaning methods. Her colleagues describe her as determined and resilient – and nominated Julie this summer as one of 30 “High-Impact Women” in SeedWorld Magazine. A magnificent success and one that delighted Julie: “At KWS, our corporate culture is rooted in continuous improvement. I’m proud to be part of a dedicated team that consistently works together to deliver the highest quality seed to the market.”
“Each production year presents new challenges, and we’re empowered to share ideas and collaborate on finding effective solutions.”
Julie Furgala
The path to achieving that is not always easy, but Julie is relentless in her quest for solutions: “Each production year presents new challenges, and we’re empowered to share ideas and collaborate on finding effective solutions.” In her previous function, she successfully implemented various systems for field and processing operations and developed solutions for improved seed storage.
Since she became Seed Production Manager, her team has increased production stability, boosted yields and reduced the footprint for commercial seed production by 25 percent. That’s the part of her work that is most fun for Julie: “Managing the many variables involved in producing high-quality seed is both challenging and rewarding. I truly enjoy collaborating with my team to overcome obstacles – whether it’s weather, genetics or regulatory requirements –, and finding solutions together makes the work especially fulfilling.”
INFO
We are looking for more exciting and inspiring journeys from colleagues in our company. Wherever you work, if you know someone whose personal story can motivate and encourage others, we would love to hear from you. Please send your recommendations to: KWSintern@kws.com |
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