|
This two-year team member of
1st Farm Credit Services (FCS) came to the
company as a trade credit and leasing specialist. He sold
Altorfer CAT products for three years before joining 1st
FCS. This experience helps him understand the needs of
dealers and their clients.
Mike is responsible for
leading and coordinating the 1st Farm Credit
Services equipment finance program, as well as the lease
product. He establishes a service relationships with
equipment dealers who desire 1st FCS finance for
their customers buying equipment. “It’s a pretty tough
business. We’re competing directly with the captive finance
companies. It’s like playing all of your basketball games
on the road,” said Shane.
1st FCS offers
equipment financing through dealers and has for several
years. Recently, the program has grown under Mike’s
leadership. The association has more than $30 million in
dealer originated loans and farm leases.
“It’s very competitive and
we pride ourselves in providing high quality service. We
tell our dealers credit decisions will be made in two
hours,” Shane stated. “Typically, it’s completed in 10-20
minutes. We have a team of top notch professionals who work
together to deliver great products and provide superior
service. Everyone wins – farmers, dealers, and the 1st
FCS team.”
But that’s only one of
Mike’s passions.
Mike lives on the edge after
work hours. While most of us may enjoy spending time
golfing or walking, Mike relaxes by racing a dirt bike
through forests or running half-marathons.
Racing off
road
“I wanted to do something
competitive and challenging,” said Shane. “My friends
pushed me to get into dirt bikes, so I bought one and began
to learn by doing.”
Mike has been racing off
road dirt bikes for 2 years. He races his bike a couple of
times a month, either at local races in such Illinois
locations as Geneseo, Morrison or Prophetstown. He also
travels to national races, sanctioned by the United Off Road
Racing Association. These races take him to Iowa,
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky or Ohio. Mike says
he enjoys traveling to races.
“We have a big social group
and get together on weekends,” says Shane. “Many are from
Wisconsin, Iowa or Illinois. It’s fun to spend time
together and see how people are doing.”
The United Off Road Racing
Association has riders ranging from 5 to 65 in age and
compete in more than 15 categories based on age, level of
experience, or quality of off-road bike.
Living on the edge may be
costly. Mike granted this interview while on crutches.
He’s recovering from a broken leg from an accident while
racing his bike in early August. Two months before, he
broke his finger during a bike race.
“I like the challenge of
racing,” says Shane. “I really enjoy the adrenaline rush,
the natural high, which comes with a race. And it’s a good
means for me to learn about controlling aggressiveness.”
Mike has learned in the last
few years of racing that going full steam ahead isn’t always
the way to win a race. He noted that sometimes backing off
during a race can allow opportunities to open up to get
ahead. Recently he was at a race going up a hill. He took
off aggressively up the hill and ran into a large congestion
of bikes. Had he taken his speed more slowly up the hill,
he could have had time to judge the situation and go around
it another way. Mike says some of these lessons can be
transferred to other parts of his life.
A typical race will last
about 1 ½ hours. The cross-country courses range from 5 to
50 miles and are usually set in forests, fields, pastures,
and woods.
“The scenery is really
great. We will go through rocky terrain, culverts, roads,
sandy areas, tight woods, up hills, in ravines,” said
Shane. “I really appreciate the people who cut these trails
for us to race on. It’s a lot of work.”
Mike is getting ready for
the marathon of dirt bike races this fall, called “The
Race”. The October 31 event in Morrison is a 40-50 mile
course in which participants complete the large course two
times.
As for his future in racing,
Mike wants to keep working to perfect his skill, “I want to
hone my skills, become one with the bike,” said Shane.
His short term goals include
improving his skills through corners. He will perfect those
skills by possibly getting involved in motocross bike
racing. He noted his biggest challenge is finding land to
practice on in the Bloomington area.
“It’s why I race so much –
my practice time is racing,” said Shane.
Racing on his feet
Mike’s other adrenaline rush
comes with his own two feet. The 28-year old is an active
runner, running more than 10 races a year, including a half
marathon in 2004.
“I use running to help me
stay in shape and keep my strength up,” said Shane.
Mike is an active member of
the Bloomington-based Lake Run Club and works out with
members of the club during weekly runs. He not only enjoys
running, but helping promote club activities. He recently
stepped off the board for the organization due to other
commitments
“I’m not the fastest runner,
running is a very social sport and I like that,” said
Shane. “I found running a great way to meet people when I
moved to Bloomington.”
Mike uses his running hobby
for a good cause as well. Each year, he joins the St. Jude
Run, a local relay-style endurance run that raises money for
the St. Jude Midwest Affiliate Hospital in Peoria. The
hospital serves children with cancer and other catastrophic
illnesses.
“Everyone knows I do this
each year and my co-workers at 1st FCS are great
about helping me out through donations,” said Shane.
Mike hopes to step up his
running activities next year, placing an emphasis on his
training regimen. He enjoyed the accomplishment of running
the Indianapolis half-marathon in May that he has intentions
of training for Chicago’s marathon a year from October. To
step up his running however, dirt biking will take second
place in the priority list.
”I have too many sports – I have to prioritize them,” he
said.
The cold, Central-Illinois
winters don’t stop Mike from keeping up his active
lifestyle. He spends some time each winter on a ski trip
with friends. A former ski instructor, Mike enjoys that
adrenaline rush as well. He travels to Colorado, Canada or
Salt Lake City for a few days of skiing and socializing.
In addition, he and friends spend Sunday afternoons during
winter months on their dirt bikes, riding for play. Special
tires or lugs help the bikes gain traction to go through the
winter terrain. Even during the cold winter weeks, he still
runs the streets of Bloomington/ Normal with a dedicated
group of friends from the Lake Run Club.
Professional growth “in his spare time”
Somehow, Mike also finds
time in his schedule to attend classes at Illinois State
University. Mike is working on his MBA. He graduated from
the University of Illinois in 1998 with a degree in
Agronomy.
“I always wanted to get an
MBA, and now that I’m in the finance business, I really
pushed it as a priority,” said Shane.
Mike says although the
program is difficult he really enjoys it and finds many
applications to his job as a Specialist in Leasing and Trade
Credit for 1st FCS.
“When you’re an
undergraduate, you’re interested in that piece of paper,”
said Shane. “As a graduate student, I’m more focused on
learning how to use the information I’m getting in my job.”
Mike says he enjoys the
informal format to the classes and the group discussions.
The emphasis on teamwork and how an organization works are
most interesting to Mike. He says it makes the information
easier to learn.
His MBA degree will be
completed in 3 years, and then Mike hopes he will be able to
use his education to help in other areas of the company.
Home
Mike’s family continues to
operate a commercial grain farm in his native Princeville.
Mike and his two brothers come back each spring and fall to
assist their father, who normally runs a one-man operation |
