Ascent Innovation Spotlight: Raven Industries ft. Shane Swedlund

By Andy Greenman

Engineer wears many hats at Raven Applied Technology

Dedicated to helping farmers become more efficient, Shane Swedlund has also shown commitment to his employer.

Swedlund serves as the Engineering Manager & University Relations at Raven Applied Technology as he nears 30 years with the company. He spent time as an Industrial Engineer, Program Manager, Sales & Marketing Manager, Service Manager, and Product Management working in three different divisions of Raven. In the last 20 years he has settled in at Raven Applied Technology, a division that is advancing agriculture and helping feed a growing population.

Born in Brookings and raised throughout South Dakota and Oklahoma, he doesn’t have a farming background like one might expect. Swedlund graduated high school in Hill City and received an Industrial Engineering degree at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

Today, Swedlund works alongside drafting and technical writing teams, supports the development teams for international compliance and certification, and collaborates with a variety of universities. Another important role is overseeing Raven interns located at South Dakota Mines. The program is a valuable resource for Raven that helps groom future employees.

“We look very closely at our intern teams for full-time talent. When we’re able to see our intern team become full-time, it’s really enjoyable for me,” Swedlund stated.

Raven university research offices are located in Rapid City and Brookings, but a majority of their 500 employees are located at their headquarters in Sioux Falls. They also have locations around the world from as close to neighboring Canada to as far away as the Netherlands.

Swedlund is grateful to Raven and finds his work fulfilling “when you work for a company whose product you believe in and support their mission, it is easy to make it a career. Raven has provided many opportunities - I just love what I do.”