Trainers

Marcel Kringe, grew up on a family farm in Germany, where he pursued an Ag Engineering degree. Work & travel studies in Canada, Russia and Brazil led him to move to Canada.

He learned English on the go while working on different farm operations all over Canada, before settling in Brandon MB for a job as a Cargill Agronomist. Marcel left his corporate career to focus full-time on his hobby, BranValt. Today, the Agricultural products of BranValt Ltd. are sold in more than 35 countries and the company employs a team of 35 great people in three different countries. 

Through his own work and training others on large scale farming operations all over the world, Marcel comes with over 20 years of hands on experience, which he has conveyed while delivering keynotes and speaking at combine clinics since his early Agronomist and BranValt days.

His entrepreneurial spirit has led him to receive the “Outstanding Young Entrepreneur Award” from the Chamber of Commerce in Westman and received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for his outstanding community service aimed at enhancing Manitoba.

Marcel works tirelessly to develop a great working environment for his team and new products, all in pursuit of ensuring the safety and profitability of farmers!

Jeremy Pankonin is an accomplished Agricultural Engineer with a diverse career spanning over two decades. After serving 7 years in the military, he earned his degree in Agricultural Engineering from Colorado State University and spent 15 years with New Holland, where he contributed to the development of cutting-edge agricultural machinery. During his time there, Jeremy held key roles in design engineering and product behavior at the company's combine factory. 

Currently, Jeremy is a product specialist at BranValt, where he has been leveraging his extensive experience in agricultural engineering. His expertise in machinery design and product development positions him as a valuable contributor to the team and the ag-tech industry as a whole. 

Bio coming soon!

Jan Geiger grew up on a contracting farm in Schleswig-Holstein and has been connected to self-propelled harvesters since his childhood, leading him to discover his passion for farming and machinery early in life. After pursuing a degree in agriculture with a specialization in engineering at the University of Hohenheim, he delved into global agricultural practices. Upon graduating with his degree, Jan began his agriculture technology career with John Deere™ that saw him managing 15 countries in Eastern Europe and the Baltics as a Product Specialist for combines and later SPFH as well. After many years and countless hours in the field as a Combine Harvester Specialist with CLAAS, Jan committed himself to enhancing harvest efficiency worldwide through the development of Geiger Agri-Solutions in 2020. Notably, he introduced the BranValt system to Europe, aiming to elevate profitability and safety for farmers during harvests. Today, Geiger Agri-Solutions is the German distribution partner for BranValt, and Jan and his team focus on optimizing combine harvesting through the European branch of BranValt’ training services, AgrarTraining.de
Studies by leading institutes have revealed a notable inefficiency: on average, combine drivers utilize only 70% of the machine’s potential during harvest. This underutilization, attributed to diverse conditions and operational hesitations, represents a significant opportunity for improvement and increased return on investment. Jan Geiger envisions bridging this gap by providing comprehensive training programs aimed at empowering operators to unlock the full 100% potential of their equipment, ensuring enhanced productivity and efficiency in the field.