Brian Manolovits, ag operator for Wilbur Ellis hailing from Mott, N.D., was selected as the 10th Annual Operator of the Year. Manolovits earned the top honor at the 2015 Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) Conference and Expo held Dec. 1 through Dec. 3 in Palm Desert, California.
“I am honored to be selected as AGCO’s Operator of the Year from among so many top operators across the country,” stated Manolovits. “I work hard at my job and enjoy it, but I never expected to be recognized like this.”
With nine years of application experience, Manolovits typically applies about 20,000 acres each year. However, this year he successfully completed 30,000 acres in just three months. He serves as the head of the Environmental Health and Safety program at his branch and continuously goes above and beyond expectations.
Manolovits , who owns a motorcycle of his own, received a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle as part of the grand prize package, and his nominator, Derek Mayer of Wilbur Ellis, will receive 100 hours free use of either an AGCO TerraGator® self-propelled high-flotation applicator or RoGator® self-propelled sprayer.
“AGCO Operator of the Year winners are outstanding leaders in the industry and deserve to receive as much recognition as possible for all that they do. Without them, farmers would have a difficult time achieving high yields with their busy schedules,” stated Conor Bergin, tactical marketing manager of AGCO Application Equipment. “This year, we received a lot of great nominations for outstanding operators, and it was a tough decision. Brian works hard to make sure that everything is applied precisely and his equipment is maintained and in good working order to ensure precision. He continually strives to do his best at work, at home, and in the community.”
Manolovits is a member of the Mott Volunteer Fire Brigade, serving as the training officer, helped organize the Pee Wee football program in his community, and has organized several motorcycle ride benefits for families going through difficult times. He also was a member of the North Dakota National Guard for more than nine years and served 15 months overseas in Operation Iraqi Freedom II.
The Operator of the Year program was designed to recognize custom applicators in North America who spend hundreds of hours in the field every year, operating sophisticated equipment, like a RoGator or a TerraGator, to apply fertilizer and crop protection products on millions of acres of crops.
To hear more of Chuck’s interview with Brian: Interview with Brian Monolovits, Operator of the Year