Steven Nelson turns interest in equipment into a career as a technician

FACES OF KIRBY-SMITH MACHINERY

Steven Nelson turns interest in equipment into a career as a technician at Kirby-Smith Machinery’s Tulsa branch

Steven Nelson’s love of big, yellow iron has made going to work at Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc.’s (KSM) Tulsa, Okla., branch every day for the last seven years enjoyable.

Steven Nelson, rental technician

“I have always been interested in working on equipment; in fact, I did a program for diesel technology at Tulsa Tech while I was in high school,” recalled Steven. “I was planning to go to college, but life put me somewhere else. I got into welding, pipefitting and building houses instead, and I learned to use cranes and excavators.”

His experience, along with a strong work ethic from growing up around farming, proved to be valuable assets.

“Kirby-Smith reps told me that if I worked hard, there would be opportunities here,” said Steven. “They were true to their word, and I ran with each one. I moved up to yard tech, and now into the position of rental technician. I give Kirby-Smith a lot of credit. They took a young guy who was pretty green with equipment maintenance and taught me to do things properly, building me into a technician.”

A first-day surprise

Before he started with KSM, Steven didn’t know he would be working on big machinery.

“I got the wash tech job through a staffing agency. I figured it would be cleaning and degreasing drill presses. When I realized it was construction equipment, I was hooked. I wanted more hours, more responsibility. Fortunately, Kirby-Smith has given me those.”

Rental technician Steven Nelson greases a rental unit at KSM’s Tulsa, Okla., branch. “What I like best about what I do is that there’s not really a bunch of repetitive stuff,” said Steven. “Sure, the machines are all the same, but they’ve always been out different places. One little quirky thing I like is seeing the earth that comes back on them, whether it be rocks, soil, landfill stuff. That kind of gets me to start thinking about where that machine’s been, what that machine has helped, who it’s helped.”

In his new position as a rental technician, Steven performs repairs and maintenance on rental units to ensure they are in proper working order before customers put them in the dirt.

“Obviously, my highest priority is taking care of any situation where a customer’s machine is down, followed by prepping rental machines and doing ordinary repairs and maintenance to them. Everyone here works together really well, and we are all committed to helping each other, especially when it benefits customers. I really like that.”

He added, “What I like best about what I do is that there’s not really a bunch of repetitive stuff. Sure, the machines are all the same, but they’ve always been out different places. One little quirky thing I like is seeing the earth that comes back on them, whether it be rocks, soil, landfill stuff. That kind of gets me to start thinking about where that machine’s been, what that machine has helped, who it’s helped.”

Outside of work, Steven is a rattlesnake hunter. “I was looking for something that few others do. Instead of a gun, I hunt with a hook and tongs. I find it fun. I also do a little fishing, and my girlfriend and I are big into helping with our church.” ■