6 minute read
Blending Agriculture and Technology
GSW alum helps brother build company and make it thrive
By Alison Cantrell
Georgia Southwestern State University strives to produce driven and successful graduates. One such GSW alum, Travis Kelley, worked hard throughout his time at Southwestern and continues to do so today.
As a child, Kelley enjoyed experimenting with computers to learn how they worked so it’s no surprise that he decided to pursue a degree in information technology at Georgia Southwestern.
“I’ve always just been drawn to working on computers, mainly hardware,” said Kelley. “Since I was little, I had to take all of my computers apart and try to put them back together just because.”
Kelley, originally from Vienna, Ga., started at GSW in 2001 while also working a full time job in systems support. Though his time was stretched, he was managing his work and school schedules until the fall of 2004 when his brother, Brian Kelley, approached him with an opportunity that would take up even more of his time.
Kelley’s brother asked him to take part in establishing a new business called AgTechnologies. Because of his background in working with computers, Kelley was immediately drawn to this opportunity.
“It consisted of installing smart devices, global positioning systems and other technologies on tractors, and this seemed pretty interesting to me,” Kelley said.
Kelley’s brother knew he was choosing the right person for the job.
“We are in a highly technical industry, and I needed someone with really strong work ethics and extremely high aptitude for technology,” said Brian Kelley, who also attended Georgia Southwestern. “He fit both of those requirements, and I felt as though I could build around him due to his ability to work well with other like-minded people.”
Kelley agreed to join his brother but also continued to pursue his degree, scaling back to evening and online classes to make room for his new work schedule.
“It was definitely different learning how to be a college student and work, but I was always accommodated by my advisor, Karen Cook, to find the best fit for my schedule,” Kelley said.
For Kelley and his brother, starting up the company was no easy task.
“It was a struggle having a very new technology and very little staff to start,” Kelley explained. “We covered a broad region, so this presented successes and challenges with supporting customers, hiring regional technicians and then managing all of that to give the customer the best experience.”
Once he and his brother had built the business up enough to allow for more flexibility in his schedule, Kelley visited with his advisor to devise a plan for completing his degree.
In the fall of 2009, Kelley graduated with his Bachelor of Science in information technology. He is now the executive vice president of technology at AgTechnologies, where he manages a team of technicians, supports different sections of the company’s IT requirements, supports current and newly developed offerings, such as troubleshooting manuals, and develops new products for the company.
Headquartered in Cordele, Ga., AgTechnologies specializes in precision agriculture, a set of technologies that allows farmers to gather information that enables them to better manage their farm operations.
“Our company is focused on providing farmers all the tools they need to be as efficient as possible and get the most out of the efforts they put into their fields,” said Kelley, “whether it be through driving a tractor straight; placing the right amount of seed fertilizer or chemicals in the right place; or now even controlling their irrigation systems remotely as well as where and when they water.”
AgTechnologies is an authorized dealer for Trimble Navigation, Ltd., a company well known for its positioning technologies. Trimble develops many products for the agricultural industry as well as other industries including construction and transportation.
In addition to being a reseller for Trimble, AgTechnologies develops its own products when there is a need, which Kelley oversees.
“We specialize in some different areas of precision agriculture and sometimes we run into issues or needs that require a specialized solution,” Kelley explained.
“If we see that it makes sense to develop something, we will either do it all internally or work with one of our main manufacturers to partner in developing a product,” he continued. “Last year, we developed a remote control and monitoring system for agriculture irrigation. This has been a favorite of mine since it’s the first product that we built completely from the ground up.”
Though Kelley has worked hard to help get the company where it is today, he attributes much of his success to his time at GSW, his advisor and his professors.
“While at GSW, I learned a lot about how to manage my time, research issues and how to analyze systems to get the best out of them,” said Kelley. “I also learned some levels of project management that have helped me in recent years during development of new products.
“I owe my success to the patience and persistence of my advisor and professors. They always were aware of my situation and helped me in any way they could,” he added. “I will always be thankful for my time spent and the knowledge gained at GSW.”
Since its inception in 2004, AgTechnologies has grown to cover Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and eastern Alabama with a team of over 30 employees. It was recognized by the Cordele-Crisp Chamber of Commerce as “Medium Business of the Year” and was also named 2014 Top Performer and Reseller of the Year for the eastern United States at a worldwide Trimble meeting.
Kelley has certainly held a large role in helping AgTechnologies achieve this level of success.
“The company would not be where it is today without his past efforts,” Brian asserted. “I always say people make the company, and people like Travis have made this company bigger than I ever could have dreamed.
“He has a strong ability to motivate everyone around him with the way he approaches every task he is confronted with in a working day,” Brian continued. “I see our guys in the company look to him and trust his leadership because he has done what he is asking them to do.”
Kelley and his wife, Victoria (also a GSW alumna who received her bachelor’s and master’s from GSW), now live in Americus, Ga. with their four sons, Max, Samuel, Howell and Thomas.
