Operations Management Internship

KLN Family Brands/Tuffy's Pet Foods

College Juniors and Seniors…We’re looking for you!

Our Story

KLN Family Brands is a 3^rd generation family-owned business that started in 1964 with its corporate headquarters located in Perham, MN, in the heart of MN lakes country.  Together, our companies manufacture a diverse and expanding range of high-quality human and pet food products.

At KLN Family Brands, our vision is that “We are a proud people-first company.  We are successful because of trust-based relationships, and first-rate products for our families and friends.  We better the world by caring for others.  We challenge.  We grow.   We inspire.”  

Some companies have to “fudge the story” a little.  Some need the extra “spin” to shine a positive light on themselves.   That’s not who we are at KLN Family Brands, and that’s not what we do.  We tell the story of our brand – our people, the quality & safety of our products, our tradition & trust, our bold innovation, and the way we treat our community & beyond.  We do it in a genuine way because we genuinely believe we’re a pretty amazing company.

We’re looking for an Operations Management Intern for Summer of 2025 that is serious about a career in manufacturing. If you are willing to learn from the best and have a desire to participate in the growth of some of the fastest growing brands in the pet food industry, you’ve stumbled upon the right job.

The Opportunity

As an Operations Management Intern, you’ll work closely with our entire operations team (directors, managers, and supervisors).  You will also work closely with many of our packaging, extrusion, slurry, and mill team members in collaboration.

Daily Duties and Responsibilities:

Spend Weeks 1-6 Working Within the Mill and Slurry Departments:

• Week 1 and 2: Observe processes, batch times, crew scheduling, downtimes, and run rates
• Week 3 and 4: Review high and low productivity calculations and make recommendations (based on historical data stored in MES and observations) for adjustments based on like items/formulas
• Week 5: Review yield reports/variance for a small subset of formulas (top 5 outliers) and provide an analysis of the gaps
• Week 6: Prepare a report and present the findings to the leadership team

Spend Weeks 7-12 Working Within the Extrusion/DCC and Packaging Departments: 

• Week 7 and 8: Observe processes, changeover times, crew scheduling, downtimes, and run rates
• Week 9 and 10: Review high and low productivity calculations and make recommendations (based on historical data stored in MES and observations) for adjustments based on like items/formulas 
• Week 11: Review waste and yield reports/variance for a small subset of items/formulas (top 5 outliers) and provide an analysis of the gaps
• Week 12: Prepare a report and present the findings to the leadership team

Attend at least 4 shift meetings per week, between day/mid and night/day shifts, and report all differences or gaps observed.

Unique Projects:

• Review and provide suggestions for tool management and storage (brooms, shovels, etc. and their location)
• Work with managers and supervisors to review work instructions and/or work aids and provide more detail, as needed 
• Compile and analyze safety incidents/accidents and offer recommendations for prevention
• Observe process flow and ergonomic opportunities and suggest improvements for at least one area
• Review and analyze waste data and recommend opportunities for improvement in at least one area
• Review and analyze downtime data and recommend opportunities for improvement in at least one area

You Will Learn Things Like:

• Innovation and creativity
• Goal setting and KPI measurement
• Analytical and critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Oral and written communication
• Teamwork and leadership

What You’ll Need to be Successful at KLN Family Brands/Tuffy’s Pet Foods:

• At least a Junior in college pursuing a degree in Business Management, Operations Management, or Manufacturing Engineering
• The ability to dedicate 10-12 weeks to the internship program for the Summer of 2025
• A positive attitude and willingness to learn
• The ability to work in a team atmosphere and be a great co-worker
• The ability to work on-site at our Perham, MN facility for the Summer 

Interns who demonstrate exceptional performance and a passion for our business may have the opportunity for full-time employment upon graduation.

Pay for this position will be a percentage of industry standards based on typical full-time starting salaries and will depend on your year in school and your timeline to graduation.