Gary Cless
Gary attended and graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in agriculture economics in 1978. After a brief hiatus in Europe, he settled down with a job at a local fertilizer, grain and feed dealer in Farley, Missouri.
His real education began in Missouri as he did everything associated with fertilizer including application, mixing dry fertilizer and filling ammonia tanks.
After four years he had an opportunity to work for Farmland Industries, a regional cooperative located in Kansas City. He helped in the fertilizer equipment department in inside sales. Gary had a wonderful opportunity to learn from his supervisors who were the ones who helped design the original equipment used in anhydrous storage and application. His education led him to conduct ammonia schools as part of his job in a seven-state area. He still feels he learned from the best.
In 1987, he advanced his career by beginning with Fairbank Equipment based in Wichita, Kansas. After a few years he began again helping with ammonia schools in Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas as well as helping Fairbank with inside sales and purchasing.
In total, Gary estimates he taught around 15,000 students – many having heard his jokes several times over the years. He is proud to be part of the team who put together the new Compressed Gas Association’s national standard on handling Anhydrous Ammonia in 2014.
Gary is now retired, but still helps in giving ammonia schools, planning new ammonia facilities and troubleshooting problems that occur out in the field.
