Retirements this month

POMEROY–Bill Wood, of Farm and Home Supply, and Debbie Keatts, of Pomeroy Grain Growers, both say "goodbye" to long-time employers this December.

Wood has worked at the Farm & Home Supply as an auto mechanic, among other skills, for the 38 years he has been with the company. In addition, Farm and Home Supply sold Chevrolet products for 50 years and he was an effective GM product service and sale trainer for the business. He mainly worked on semi-tractor trucks, wheat trucks, and other vehicles, using his talent and expertise to keep locals and travelers passing through Pomeroy alike going anytime of the week. He was especially brilliant with electrical systems.

"He sure could get something moving," said Tom Herres, Farm & Home Supply owner. "He could fix anything. Bill would even help people on the weekends if they broke down on their way through. We are sure going to miss his skills around here."

Farm & Home Supply has welcomed Christopher Steynor to their team. He has been employed in the automotive and machinery division of the company since February. He came with an Associates degree in Automotive Service Technology and a Certificate of Automotive Service from Portland Community College and nine years of experience.

Debbie Keatts, an eleven-year veteran with the Pomeroy Grain Growers Agronomy Division, working as a bookkeeper and secretary, will retire at the end of December. She kept the division fit by staying on top of audits and schedules, but didn't stop there. She wore many hats during her time with the company.

"As agronomy manager, I appreciated her dedication to the company, specifically the agronomy division, her time and effort to her job," said Todd Ruchert, Pomeroy Grain Growers Agronomy Division Manager. "She made my job so much easier, especially the bi-annual and annual audits, so I could focus on other things. She will most certainly be missed. Being employed by a small company, she wore many hats and was quite thorough with the financial portion of the business," Ruchert continued.

The Pomeroy Grain Growers Agronomy Division has recently welcomed Caitlin McGreevy, who is presently training for Keatts's position. She is a Walla Walla Community College (WWCC) Bachelors of Science in Agricultural Systems 2021 Fall graduate. She was active in basketball throughout her high school years and a two-year member of the WWCC basketball team.

A retirement celebration for Keatts and Pomeroy Grain Growers Agronomy Division Open House is planned for December 30 at 1-3 p.m.