About Us

Faces of Oliver

Alex Pizano

2023 MVP

In the spirit of an Oliver tradition ignited by the remarkable Mac McNutt, a man who left an indelible mark as Production Manager, friend, father, and leader, we have been inspired by his work ethic and unwavering love for Oliver since 1981. Carrying on his legacy, we celebrate the outstanding individuals who follow in Mac’s footsteps by announcing a new MVP at the close of each year.

With great excitement, we congratulate Alex Pizano, on earning the prestigious 2023 Most Valuable Player award. The vibrant tradition continues to thrive, and we are thrilled to honor individuals like Alex who embody the essence of excellence and dedication within the Oliver family. Manager Sean Carter wrote a kind remark, “Alex is one of the brightest and most knowledgeable dudes I have had the privilege of working alongside at Oliver. I admire Alex’s work ethic, sense of humor and ability to perform under immense pressure. Alex is the epitome of the MVP award!”

Alex has been apart of our team for 7 1/2 years, he envisions spending the rest of his career with Oliver. Initially joining as a CNC technician, he has now moved to the role of Mechanical Drafter, a position intended to enhance the efficiencies of our production line. Alex attributes his achievements to his curiosity. Alex emphasized the importance of being inquisitive by stating, “be a curios person, always seek answers to the questions you have.”

Joining us directly after High School, Alex credits the skills and values he has acquired to the many individuals he interacted with daily. In a powerful statement, Alex says, “I was made by Oliver, for Oliver.”

2023 Oliver MVP, Alex Pizano

Pictured Brian Burney, President & CEO with Alex Pizano, 2023 MVP

 

Tim Weiss

2022 MVP

Our team has kicked off the year by celebrating our best and brightest employees of 2022. While we recognize the great efforts of our team players and value all of our employees hard work and dedication, not everyone gets chosen as the MVP. Every year we choose the Most Valuable Player and this year we’d like to congratulate the 2022 MVP, Tim Weiss. Mr. Weiss is a second time MVP, first achievement was in 2011. Tim stated,  “I was shocked the first time and I was shocked this time.”

Throughout the year Tim has continually demonstrated his versatility and willingness to step in when needed. Tim’s 15 years of experience at Oliver shines through. His primary job is working in assembly and building crates that ship our machines. However, there is not one department on the factory floor Tim has not worked in. Welding, Fabrication, Assembly, Testing, Primer Paint, Shipping, Machine Maintenance, you name it!

Production Manager Dustin Jackson, former Assembly Team Lead had an awful lot of praise for Tim. Here’s what he had to say, “Three words come to mind when I hear Tim’s name, proud, loyal, and humble.”

“Tim is a man of great character; Tim is the proverbial man behind the curtain; although he is a man who isn’t easily missed by your eyes, he can be a ninja! Back in 2019 we were short staffed in assembly so I had asked a couple people in metal and fab to help, Tim was one of them. As I was balancing  tasks throughout the assembly process, I would go to get something done and noticed it had already been completed, guess who’d done it, Ninja Tim. I truly had no idea Tim had been doing all these things, and he never said anything either! Beginning of 2020 I knew I needed Tim on my TEAM in final assembly, over the past two years Tim has hands down been not only a great addition in assembly but everywhere he goes!”

Tim is a teacher, a leader, a great listener, a proud father, a husband and a wonderful friend. He always has the best attitude. His love for his work and the people around him is worthy of admiration. Weiss stated, “Working here is a one of a kind opportunity, you can’t learn what we do anywhere else in the word, everything we do is unique to our business.” When we asked Tim what was the best thing about winning MVP of the year, he replied, “Going home to share the news my wife and son, they hugged me and told me they were proud of me. That is the best feeling in the world!”

Thank you Tim, truly, for all the hard work, dedication, character, and friendship!

Tim WeissPictured Brian Burney, President & CEO with Tim Weiss, 2022 MVP

 

Master Machinist, Fred Ratzlaff

Building Oliver equipment to some surprise is done with much manual labor. For the past 11 year Fred’s work playground has been the fabrication department. Fred’s abilities to perform his job are that of awe. Attention to detail is key as the parts he makes are vital to the success of our equipment’s production. He has a great aptitude for the machinery and understands how to troubleshoot any problems that may arise. On top of that, he has the physical dexterity it takes to produce a single part as well as the curiosity and hope for technological advancements in the fabrication department. 

Sometimes creating one part could require 3-10 steps depending on the size, shape, and design. For example our eccentric hearts that go inside the machine’s bearings is one of the more difficult parts to make and has multiple steps. Sean Carter, the Fabrication Department Head had a few things to say about Fred. ” Fred is a very valuable asset to Oliver Manufacturing. He has one of the most unique jobs in the company, which every department receives vital parts he produces. Fred also has one of the best attitudes on the shop floor, especially with all the stress he has on him for the high demand of his quality parts.” 

Outside of work Fred enjoys ranching. He grew up ranching and has continued the passion and passed it along to his son, who he helps from time to time. Along side ranching Fred enjoys watching auto races and football. 

Fred Ratzlaff