If you get the chance to visit with Amanda Zimmerman, you’ll learn two things pretty quickly: she loves her job and she loves agriculture…maybe not in that order, but you’ll learn both. Amanda found her place in agriculture early on her family’s Wisconsin beef farm. She never strayed far from her roots on the farm.

“Agriculture isn’t just my career,” she’ll tell you. “It’s who I am, and there’s nothing else I would rather be doing.”

Today, as a Product Manager for VES-Artex, Amanda gets to put her passion to work for the industry she loves. Helping dairy farmers find ROI and an unparalleled customer experience at VES-Artex.

It’s easy to visit with Amanda and see how her passion for the industry drives her passion for her role and the dairy farmers she gets to serve on the daily.

Why VES-Artex

“I’ve seen firsthand how cow comfort makes all the difference,” she says. “You can have the best genetics, fueled by the best nutrition money can buy, but without the right environment, you won’t see the results you should. Cows have to be comfortable to perform to their genetic potential, and that’s where we can help at VES-Artex.”

Before coming to VES-Artex, Amanda worked in animal nutrition and genetics, just down the road from where she works at the VES-Artex headquarters today. She was intrigued by the role of nutrition on the farm, in both beef and dairy cattle, and that drive for more information led her to VES-Artex via cow comfort.

“What I noticed was that two farms could have identical rations, matching specs and similar genetics, but if one had the right ventilation and fans – if those stressors were managed – the performance results were night and day. Feed is the biggest cost on most dairies and without cow comfort, that investment goes to waste,” she says.

Today, Amanda creates solutions that support both herd health and a dairy’s bottom line. For her, cow comfort isn’t just about the animal, it’s about productivity and profitability. It’s about long -term sustainability. For Amanda, VES-Artex isn’t just a job, it’s an opportunity to make an impact for the next generation in agriculture.

“I actually applied for an accounting position with no prior experience,” she laughs. “I just really wanted to get my foot in the door; I knew I wanted to be part of a company that was making a real impact.”

Amanda wouldn’t spend a day in accounting. She was quickly hired as a member of the estimating team and her role on the team has only grown from there.

She’s never looked back, and today she works as a Product Manager, overseeing the intersection of hardware and software at VES-Artex. She focuses on products like the ACE control panel, cow brushes, sanitation tools, and environmental controls. Six years later, she’s still working to improve consistency and performance on the farm.

“My focus is always to bring our hardware and software together to ensure the products we deliver perform the way they are supposed to,” she explains.

Exciting Times are Here!

What excites Amanda the most about her role today is the freedom to innovate and focus on customer success. Over the past year, under new ownership and leadership, she’s seen the company find its roots. She’s seeing her passion for the industry company wide and she couldn’t be more excited, she says.  

“There’s nothing in the way of our success at VES-Artex anymore. We’re free to do what’s right for our dealers and our customers,” she shared. “This past year has been the most exciting of my career. We’ve got the right people in the right places, and we’re making a real difference.”