Night Dry Extrusion Operator

KLN Family Brands; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 32,000 - 43,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, Vision

Wellness discounts

PTO

Paid holidays

KLN Clinic

401k match

Home grant program

Tuition assistance

Job summary

KLN Family Brands is seeking a Night Shift Dry Extruder Operator for Tuffy’s Pet Foods in Perham, MN. You will review production schedules, prepare die plates, set up knives, operate the extruder, monitor equipment, inspect samples, and coordinate with plant teams to meet quality specifications.

This role requires reading and following procedures, basic math and computer skills, and the ability to lift up to 100 pounds.

Qualifications

• General mathematical ability and basic computer skills.
• Ability to read, speak, write and understand English.
• Willingness to work other shifts as required by supervisor.
• Good judgment, communication skills and reasoning abilities.
• Ability to handle weights up to 100lbs on a routine basis.

Responsibilities

• Review and follow the daily production schedule for accuracy.
• Coordinate with mill room, dry packaging and slurry teams for materials.
• Choose correct die plate and set up knives for next production run.
• Operate the extruder and monitor equipment to meet QA specs.
• Inspect samples and record operation parameters.
• Notify maintenance of unusual equipment noises or failures.

Skills

Math ability

Basic computer skills

Reading/writing English

Teamwork / flexible shifts

Good judgment / communication

Weight handling 100lbs

Job description

Tuffy's Pet Foods, Perham, MN, US

Essential Duties

• Choose correct die plate and set up knives for next production run scheduled

Dry Extruder Operator – Tuffy’s Pet Foods

Hours: 10pm-6am S-TH

Compensation

• All in hourly compensation: $26.87/hr
  • Base Pay: $23.32/hr
  • Sign on Bonus: $1.22
  • 10% Shift Differential for Night Shift: $2.33/hr
• Profit Sharing Eligibility: Begins after completing 1 year of employment ($7.7 Million in Profits Paid to Profit Sharing Pool in 2025)

Our Coolest Benefit - Profit Sharing!

In our most recent fiscal year, KLN Family Brands paid out over $7.7 million into our profit sharing pool for employees!!

Our Story

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

Tuffy’s Pet Food is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the Night Shift-Dry Extruder Operator position. Requirements, desired qualification, skills and abilities located below.

Essential Duties

• Review and follow daily production schedule verifying against their product information sheets for accuracy.
• Communicate with the mill room and dry packaging personnel as to which bins should be used for their immediate production needs.
• Coordinate with slurry operators to verify which tanks to use for liquid injection products.
• Choose correct die plate and set up knives for next production run scheduled
• Operate the extruder 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.
• Monitor all feed formulas presented to them for color, odor, and grind notifying supervisor of anything that looks out of specifications.
• Cleaning systems as required between production runs. Daily clean up and sanitation of extruder area.
• Setting up die plates for each different production run and monitoring knife wear.
• Calibrate process liquid mass flow meters prior to runs that require their usage
• Take monthly and semi-annual inventory of department ingredients.
• Involved in weekly cleaning of extrusion 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

Benefits

• Health, Dental, & Vision
  • Wellness program discounts - up to $150 discounted towards health insurance monthly
• 104 Hours of PTO Accrued in First Year of Employment
• 7 Paid Holidays
• KLN Clinic - Free doctor visits & more than 300 free prescriptions
• 401k Match Opportunity
  • Opportunity to meet with our onsite financial advisors
• $10,000 Forgivable Home Grant Program
• Tuition Assistance

*All hires are contingent on a clean background check and a successful drug test (UA), this means that a job offer is not final until both the background check and drug test results are satisfactory to the employer*