Alumni Career Feature
Bradley Benner '94 & Rusty Wendt '77
We feature alumni with interesting careers from a variety of career areas. To find out more about the alumnus profession contact them via the e-mail provided. Or if you are interested in being featured, e-mail us at alumni@pct.edu.
Bradley Benner
- A.A.S., Plastics and Polymer Technology, 1994
- Key Plastics LLC
- bbenner@keyplastics.com
Why Penn College?
I was working in the plastics industry for three years and realized without a formal education I was not going to go very far in my career. I also felt that the smaller class sizes would benefit me since I was out of school for over five years. I knew I would have better access to the instructors.
Please explain your current responsibilities at Key Plastics.
I oversee the entire operations at both Key Plastics' Pennsylvania locations. It is my responsibility to bid jobs and grow the PA locations to capacity in a very competitive market. I make sure we are doing all we can to minimize the effect on the environment by reducing waste. I also trouble shoot technical issues to help minimize the cost of having our IT tech travel from Michigan.
What is the most enjoyable aspect of your job?
Teaching others what I have learned to help make them better in their jobs, building a team that is self managing.
How did your Penn College education prepare you for your current position?
Penn College helped me understand polymers and what plastics can do under different processing conditions. In turn, it helped me provide valuable information and ideas to my company. Managers took notice of my knowledge and I was able to advance to my current position.
If you could "redo" your college experience, would you change anything?
I would have stayed for the B.S. degree.
Describe your transition from College to the workplace.
It was very smooth. As a Penn College student, I was able to do a summer internship. The same company hired me on full time when I graduated. I also had worked in the field prior to attending Penn College and had that experience to offer.
What advice do you have for students interested in your career field?
If at all possible, work in the field prior to or while attending college.
Do you participate in any extra-curricular activities?
I have served as a Boy Scout Leader the past seven years. I also enjoy hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, swimming, and working with youth at church.
Rusty Wendt
- A.A.S., Nusery Management, 1977
- Syngenta Crop Protection
- wentru1@gmail.com
Why Penn College?
My major at WACC, as it was called then, was Nursery Management. I always had an interest in the natural world and biology. The applied aspect of the curriculum appealed to me.
Have you continued your education?
Yes, after Penn College I went to West Virginia University and earned a B.S. in Environmental Sciences and then on to Virginia Tech for an M.S. in Plant Protection.
Please explain your current responsibilities at Syngenta.
I've been with Syngenta or legacy companies for 26 years (various mergers have occurred). I am the Head of Insecticide and Fungicide Brand Management for the NAFTA region. I manage a team that is primarily accountable for life cycle management of all of our insecticides and fungicides brands and active ingredients. I have held various sales and marketing positions in the U.S. and Canada.
Do you see your field changing in the next three to five years?
Yes. Our industry has gone through extensive consolidation over the past decade. Where we once had roughly twelve discovery oriented life science companies, we now have five. Consolidation was driven by cost of discovery and commercialization. It takes roughly 200 million USD to bring a product to market. We hire a mix of highly specialized scientists, sales, and marketing personnel and are in the process of merging a number of divisions.
How did your Penn College education prepare you for your current position?
It was an excellent start and helped me build confidence in my ability to succeed as I moved through my college career.
What advice to you have for students interested in your career field?
Success in any commercial endeavor requires excellent people skills. In addition to technical skills learned in school, everyone should take a shot at selling something during their college career. The experience will be invaluable!
Where do you see yourself in three to five years?
When my career in this industry comes end, I would like the next chapter to involve work with a non-profit international aid or agricultural based organization.
