“I’m a very prepared and organized person. I don’t like to go into something and not be ready.  I’m determined. Anything that’s thrown in front of me, a challenge, I will never fail. That’s my motto. Even though I’m not 100% sure I’m going to succeed, I’ll figure it out, and I will. I try to do everything I can within reason for my team.”

 

By: Living a Stout Life

 

About Malteurop Malting Company (MMC)

We are a collective of craftsmen devoted to making exceptional malt. We are innovators, designers, scientists, farmers, brewers, and artists. We are your link from farm to beer, and we want you to know us as a vital part of the craft beer and distilling community. 

Meet Rick Slotness

Rick’s dedication to Malteurop and the Great Falls plant may not have been with him since the day he was born, but it sure seems like it.

 

A Minnesota boy, Rick Slotness may have gotten his dedication and work ethic from day one, but his passion for malting and Montana grew out of a love for procedures and safety.

 

Not one to let any opportunity pass him by, nor one to let his friends go off without him, after college, Rick followed his friend, leaving his hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, for Minneapolis. His goal? He wanted a position alongside his friend in the grain industry. 

 

Life had other plans for Rick. At least for that moment.

 

What is your educational background? 

After graduating with a Business Management Degree, Rick quickly found another position and for the next year he worked at a commercial dishwashing company. This inevitably prepared him for his future career with Malteurop Malting Company. He just didn’t know it yet.

 

Working on mixing and making products and rebuilding machinery, Rick was gaining skills, but his desire to do more, to learn more, never wavered. 

 

Resigning from the commercial dishwashing company a year in, life, as it so often does, gave Rick a foot in the door from a mere phone call.

 

The same day that Rick gave notice, he received a call… from the job he wanted when he first moved to Minneapolis.

 

And his career in malting began. 

 

How did you decide to be a plant manager for a malting company?

Starting in Minneapolis in 1989, working with ADM, Rick worked with barley, cleaning, sizing, and re-blending. He loaded railcars and took charge of shipping, ensuring the grains arrived at the right place, a malthouse in Chicago, Illinois.

 

Rick was quickly promoted and in 1990, he moved to Milwaukee to start work in the malting industry. Remaining dedicated throughout mergers and corporate transitions, Rick began training others and his skills and dedication sent him to Chicago to assist with a plant there, too.

 

Traveling back and forth between Milwaukee and Chicago, working with many departments in both plants, Rick took on more than he had planned. But he also learned more than he planned, making him the top candidate for plant manager when the time came.

 

And while his expertise and skills were ready for the next step, it was his boss who saw what Rick couldn’t.

 

“I told my boss that I wasn’t ready for that. He disagreed, stating, ‘Trust me. You’ll be fine.’ My no-fail attitude took over, and I took on the challenge.”

 

And he met that challenge head-on, running that plant for just over five years. In those five years, Rick took a facility that could not go a week without an injury or a month without an LTA (lost time accident), to two and a half years without an LTA before moving on.

 

After Chicago, Rick was asked what he thought about moving to Montana to help get a new plant up and running.

 

His response was immediate. “When do I leave?” 

 

Starting as a Process Manager in 2005 at a newly built malthouse in Great Falls, Rick was on his way. And when MMC took over the malthouse in 2008, Rick’s hard work over the past two decades paid off. 

 

“It’s been my dream to run a new facility.”

 

Through several malting companies, Rick was steadfast in his dedication and passion to his malting career.

 

Now 35 years in, Rick thinks back to when he was first trying to determine his pathway in life. 

 

Choosing the broader scope of business management because he didn’t like chemistry, ironically led him to one focus – malting, which is chemistry.

What does your average day look like?

That singular focus was formed by passion and dedication. That is what gets him to work every morning at 5:00 am. That and coffee, which is the first thing he prepares upon arrival at the plant.

 

Coffee in hand, Rick now has time to focus on quality, production, and shipments, preparing himself for the day’s tasks.

 

Morning meetings start at 7:00 am with his Process Manager. This meeting quickly transitions into a meeting with all of MMC’s plant managers, along with the safety and quality team. Local staff are involved, as well as the procurement team, the safety team, and operations including elevator, malthouse, maintenance, and lab. These meetings are imperative to ensure that everyone at the plant is working towards providing the best malts to MMC’s brewing and distilling partners. 

 

As the day progresses, Rick isn’t hiding in his office. He’s on the floor helping where needed, participating in and giving safety talks, and being present for his team.

 

And at the forefront of every meeting, every task, and every goal, is safety.

 

“Every meeting, the first one and the next one, every meeting I have starts with safety first. Because without safety, you can’t do anything else. Your productivity, your quality, your costs, you can’t get any of that if you’re not safe.”

 

Rick truly cares about keeping people safe.

 

“My goal is people need to go home in the same condition they came to work every day, if not better. You deserve to go home to your family, your spouse, your children uninjured.”

 

________

 

Click here to learn more about Malteurop’s safety culture.

 

________

 

What are some of your career accomplishments?

Rick is very proud of his entire team at MMC for all that they do, and he considers this one of his biggest accomplishments.

 

“I’m proud of my team because they’re passionate in each department about what they do. It’s not just a job. They’re always looking for improvement. They want nothing but the best. Always. That’s a culture.”

 

In maintenance, in safety, in process, in elevator operations, and in engineering, everybody’s passionate about what they do, and they strive to be better all the time, every day. 

 

“Because you can’t do everything yourself. You need people who know how to do their jobs. And if it’s something you’re passionate about, and you support them and motivate them [his team], that passion and dedication pays off for everyone.”

 

Now that’s a career accomplishment.

 

Not to mention working in the malting industry for 35 years, becoming the youngest plant manager, and always keeping safety a priority, no matter where he worked, no matter what job he performed. 

 

Rick’s career accomplishments began from day one when he was the mentee being trained to now when he is the leader, the trainer, the motivator, the mentor.

 

How do you work with others at MMC to get your partners what they need?

Malteurop is the best because of its team. And Rick has no problems making sure everyone knows it.

 

“Our quality is the best. Our team is the best. Our facilities are the best. We are always seeking to do the best for our partners. And that best includes over a century of combined experience. We know what we are doing, and I’ll put our malt up against anybody else’s.”

 

With experts at MMC that include maltsters, brewers, distillers, farmers, scientists, and engineers, our partners get what they need.

 

Where do you see the future of malting heading?

While we can all admit that there’s no crystal ball to see where the future of malting is heading, Rick is certain of one thing.

 

“One thing I truly believe is beer is never going to go away.”

 

The industry may be in a shift with younger generations leaning towards NA options, ready-made cocktails, and the sober-curious movement, but Rick believes that there will always be a demand for beer.

 

That demand may be lighter beers – craft beer today has become quite complex – but trends come and go, and he’s hopeful that this is also a trend. Malting, beer, and generations have been shifting and changing since the beginnings of alcohol and humanity. Nothing’s different there. 

 

What’s different today is that we (MMC) know more about growing quality barley and handling environmental situations. We know more about each malt and its impact on brewing and distilling. We know more, and we are innovative with that knowledge.

What’s your favorite style of beer and why? 

Rick’s answer is similar to most when it comes to a go-to style of beer. Craft beers are full of flavor, and he enjoys them, but when it comes time to have a beer and not focus too much on the craft… we’ll let Rick tell you.

 

“I love craft beer. But if I’m not drinking craft beer, it’s Miller Lite or even a red beer. Red beers are popular back in Wisconsin and Minnesota. We grew up on them while watching Sunday football.”

 

Who are we to buck tradition?

 

But when in Rome… Montana is known for its Scotch Ales, and Rick fell hook, line, and sinker. 

 

“Ever since moving to Montana, I’ve also loved Scotch Ales. It’s one of my favorite styles. I like the malt flavors in beer.”

 

We understand, Rick. The business has been in your blood for decades.

 

What beer is in your fridge currently?

Rick is grateful for his friends when it comes to his beer supply. We would be, too.

 

“Because I have good friends in the brewing industry, when they visit or when I visit, beer is shared.”

 

As it should be amongst friends.

 

But more than likely, you’ll also find some basics in his fridge. Miller Lite and Keystone Light play nicely with their craft beer neighbors on Rick’s refrigerator shelves.

 

Who are you outside of work? 

Asking Rick who he is outside of work is almost like taking a piece of his personality away from him.

 

Rick grew up working in the malting business. Who he is as part of work is ingrained in him outside of work. His dedication, passion, and no-fail attitude have cultivated a likable, genuine human being.

 

“I’m a very prepared and organized person. I don’t like to go into something and not be ready.  I’m determined. Anything that’s thrown in front of me, a challenge, I will never fail. That’s my motto. Even though I’m not 100% sure I’m gonna succeed, I’ll figure it out, and I will. I try to do everything I can within reason for my team.”

 

And Rick’s team reciprocates that.

 

“That’s why we have a good team out there. I mean, my people are amazing.”

 

Premium grains from field to flavor.

 

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About Malteurop Malting Company (MMC)

Malteurop Malting Company (MMC) is based in North America—specializing in growing and producing quality malts for the beer, whiskey, and food processing industries. With local farms and Malthouses spread across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Malteurop’s commitment to excellence is fully ingrained into every batch it produces, ensuring businesses of any size can create the finest beverages and food products on the planet. 

Visit www.malteuropmaltingco.com to learn how we can support your malting needs.

 

Contact us at customersuccess@malteurop.com or (844) 546-MALT (6258) for questions or to place your order. 

 

Malting is our passion. Quality is our promise.