DCC Assistant Operator

KLN Family Brands is a 3rd 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 of our products, our spirit & moxie, our tradition, 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.

The Opportunity

Imagine having a chance to produce and package our most popular product line, NutriSource Pet Foods and Tuffy's Pet Foods for everyone's favorite 4-legged friends. Imagine sharing in the profits of a historic family owned business that paid out over $7.5 million to its employees in 2024. Imagine living in the Lakes Area of Minnesota, with world-class shopping, boating, and fishing at dozens of local lakes. It will all be yours when you choose to join our team!

What We Are Looking For

We’re now hiring a DCC Assistant Operator To operate the dry pet food dryer, coater, cooler systems to produce products following all quality, food safety and safety requirements set forth in company policies for our extrusion team at Tuffy’s Pet Foods. We are looking for someone with a safety-first mindset to help our team succeed. If you have a passion for pets and this role matches your skill set, this position might be for you and you may have just stumbled upon the perfect role!

Hours: 2PM-10PM

Essential Duties:

• • Review and follow daily production schedule verifying against their product information sheets for accuracy.
  • Communicate with the extruder room and dry packaging personnel as to which bins should be used for their immediate production needs.
  • Operate the dryer, coater, cooler and monitor ancillary equipment to produce products that meet the desired specifications set forth by the Quality Assurance Department.
  • Visually inspect and save samples throughout all runs to be taken to the Quality Control Lab for final analysis.
  • Responsible to record operation parameters and turn in at the end of each shift.
  • Record all liquid coatings required for each run and turn in at the end of each shift.
  • Record all dry coatings required for each run and turn in at the end of each shift.
  • Monitor all feed formulas presented to them for color, and odor notifying supervisor of anything that looks out of specifications.
  • Cleaning systems as required between production runs.
  • Daily clean up and sanitation of dryer, coater cooler area.
  • Involved in weekly cleaning of dryer, coater cooler area per weekly cleaning schedule
  • Notify maintenance of any unusual equipment noises or failures.
  • Train new department employees.

Qualifications

• General mathematical ability and basic computer skills
• Learning, memorizing and executing a sequence of procedures
• Must be able to read, speak, write and understand English
• Willing and able to get along with others. Be willing to fill in on other shifts as required by supervisor.
• Good judgment, communication skills and reasoning abilities.
• Ability to handle weights of up to 100lbs and 50lbs on a routine basis