Nate Rosten, the Senior Service Manager at Mazzella Companies’ New Tech Machinery (NTM), is on the job in Milton-Freewater, Oregon, where he’s using his nearly 40 years of experience to assist an NTM customer. This is just one stop along the way as Nate travels to customer locations across the country and beyond to provide service and training.
A day in the life of a service technician is anything but routine. For Nate, a seasoned professional at NTM, each day brings its own set of challenges and opportunities. From early morning travel to diverse customer locations, from around the US to as far away as Australia, Nate delivers hands-on training sessions and machine servicing. Nate’s role is dynamic when it comes to customer training and multifaceted when dealing with machine issues and troubleshooting.
What’s a typical day for a Service Tech?
Nate says most of his “typical” days include early travel times and customer visits.
“You never know where you’ll find yourself. You might be in Oregon one week and New Mexico the next week,” says Nate. “But either way, it keeps you on your toes. And for me, it’s pretty exciting to be able to go travel to different places and help out people in the industry.”
While these visits were historically 40% training and 60% service, those percentages have flipped, with most of his time spent with customers filled with training sessions, as knowing how to operate and adjust the rollforming machines is vital to productivity.
Nate says, “Since our volume has increased, we’ve mostly been training on the road because customers find it a lot easier for one technician to come to their location and train multiple people. They’re more comfortable when they’re in their location versus a new place with distractions, so the machine owners and their crews get more out of the training.”
Nate added that the training sessions he performs are for the customers but that he aims to empower them so that they feel confident using the machines. “Lately, we’ve been having the customer do most of the work. We only demonstrate what we’re doing.”
When it comes to his most common service calls, Nate says preventative maintenance (PM) tops the list, but that’s not all that he does during his visits. “If I’m performing service work for a customer, I will always look at the tooling and drive and ensure the engine, hydraulic system, electrical system, and anything else needed to operate the machine are up and running.”
Related: The Top Five Questions the NTM Service Department Receives
What is your favorite part of the job?
Nate tells candidates interested in a service tech position, “If you enjoy getting out of the office and traveling, this role is for you. I’ve been to every state, including Alaska and Hawaii.”
Nate added that travel is critical to supporting customers, who own one or more models of NTM’s rollforming machines, which are now used on every continent, including Antarctica.
Beyond traveling to different locations, Nate really loves the personal interactions. “My favorite part of the job is meeting new people. I feel like I’m dealing with five to ten new people every week. Whether it’s via training or service or just being able to show someone how to maintain and operate their equipment.”
Aside from supporting customers, Nate appreciates the support he gets from the team in his office, who are always available to help him do his job. “I know that if something comes up during a visit or transit, I can call or text someone, and I’m going to get the support I need, whether it’s additional machine parts or troubleshooting.”
Nate also shared that he’s always proud to be one of the select people in the country qualified to do this work. “If you learn how to do this job, there are only a handful of people that are actually able to work on these machines, which is why I’ve been all over the world doing it.”
Related: What to Expect from a Rollforming Machine Training Session
What are some of the job challenges a Service Tech faces?
Nate says that outside of balancing life and work by never missing the nightly call with his family, the challenges come down to the intricacy of the rollforming machines he works on and the variety of panel or gutter profiles NTM machines produce.
Nate says, “One of the challenges is that you’ll find yourself working on a rollforming machine, and realize you don’t have the right part. You have to wait for a part, or you have to improvise or go get a part made.”
Delays caused by part replacement can lengthen the service call, but that’s where soft skills prove helpful. Nate may have to be patient with the customer until the shipped part arrives.
Nate shared that he’s consistently reminded of the superior quality of NTM’s rollforming machine parts. “The unique aspect of NTM’s portable rollforming equipment is that it’s the brainchild of the original designer, Ron Schell, who wanted all of the nuts and bolts to be the same size for ease of service.”
Aside from parts, Nate shared that the variety of panel profiles the machines fabricate creates a unique challenge. “We’ve got 16 types of metal roof and wall panels that can come out of our machine, and for some of those panels, you’ll need to change out all the forming rollers to run a different profile. So we demonstrate that to the customer, but then we have them finish installing them so they get more comfortable with the changeover process.”
He also said that a customer’s busy schedule can prove challenging. “Sometimes, customers are too busy to help or answer your questions or give you all the information. You have to diagnose the situation on your own.”
Related: Five Signs Your Portable Rollforming Machine Needs Service
What led you to a career at NTM?
Nate said, in his opinion, that the best way up is from the bottom. Starting in metal fabrication nearly 38 years ago, he tried to learn everything he could, which was a priceless education for his current role. “There isn’t a school for rollforming. There are engineering and mechanical things, but when it comes to learning how metals form, you really have to have the experience.”
After working in metal fabrication, Nate spent 15 years working for a distributor of NTM machines.
“I did a lot of work with Ron Schell and Steve Wozniak as a distributor, selling NTM machines and doing training and service work. So, when a position opened up, it was easy for me to go right into working with NTM because it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.”
What advice would you give a newcomer?
Starting a new role can be daunting, but Nate says that focusing on the basics and paying attention to detail are crucial. “That’s one of the things that really, for me, is the most important. Every little detail matters, especially to our customers.”
Nate also suggests that a new team member not immediately feel the need to be an expert in rollforming service. “We’re not expecting you to get out there and know everything. We have people that we can lean on here at the factory for drawings or troubleshooting a problem. No one is ever out there alone in the field, even after training.”
That fact is reflected in NTM’s newest hire. “We just hired someone who used to work for Harley Davidson, and we’re teaching them step-by-step how our machines are built from the ground up. Eventually, we’ll show them how the end user will use the equipment.”
For those mechanically inclined, working as an NTM service technician allows them to apply their talents and skills to servicing portable roll formers and build a new career in a specialized field.
What hard and soft skills does a service tech need?
To excel at this role, a combination of hard and soft skills is essential. The technical skills needed span computer software, hardware, and mechanical tools. The soft skills necessary to manage customer interactions and seize training opportunities rank as equally important.
Hard Skills
Computer Software
NetSuite Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System
- Scheduling appointments
- Accessing drawings
- Creating customer quotes
- Looking up parts
Computer Hardware
- USB and SD cards for machine updates
- Volt meter
Mechanical Hardware
- Wrenches
- Screwdrivers
- Pliers
- Scale
- Tape Measurer
- Feeler Gauge
Soft Skills
- Adaptable: Metal and metal-forming machines can be challenging, requiring quickly adjusting to new information.
- Calm: Temperament is essential because you’ll likely deal with some frustrated customers.
- Instructive: You must find and use every opportunity to teach someone how to fix something.
- Diplomatic: You must understand the importance of maintaining professionalism and tact when interacting with customers and representing the company’s interests.
Each Day is a New Adventure
Whether mentoring new Service Technicians at NTM’s Colorado plant or training a rollforming customer in Hawaii, Nate’s experiences highlight his role’s unique demands and rewards. With frequent travel, technical problem-solving, and constant customer interaction, Nate’s days are a dynamic mix of high-stakes service and educational engagement, turning each job into a new adventure in the field.
