Brian Sutherland
In Town: Brian Sutherland believes in the value of a strong work ethic. Not only does he believe it, he lives it. Brian works third shift, 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., at Carlisle Transportation Products in Springfield, Mo. American Industrial Partners recently acquired Carlisle Transportation Products, which manufactures specialty tires, wheels and power transmission belts for various equipment including tractors, ATV/UTV, towable trailers and transportation vehicles. “Anything that needs a belt, they make a belt for it,” said Brian. The company has seven manufacturing sites and 10 distribution facilities located in the United States, Canada, Europe and China. The Springfield facility focuses on manufacturing belts. Brian works the graveyard shift and many times overtime, putting the final touches on the belts before they are shipped to customers. Brian said he doesn’t mind the overnight shift or long hours. “Really the main reason is it frees you up during the day. If you have to feed hay or work cattle, you have time to get the farm work done,” said Brian. Then Brian laughed and added, “But you have to sleep some, too.”
In the Country: Brian grew up on his family’s farm in Fair Grove, Mo. Now Brian and his wife Kelly, are raising their daughters, Lexie and Lindy, near the same area where Brian spent his childhood. Brian runs a herd of Angus-based commercial and registered cattle. “I try to run whatever will make money,” said Brian. He sells his calves shortly after weaning, usually when the calves are 7 to 8 months old. Brian uses Angus bulls to breed all his cows. Brian’s chores continue even after completing all the tasks related to the farm. For more than a decade, Brian has raised, trained and boarded English Pointers. He trains the bird dogs to hunt quail; a pastime he grew to love as he hunted alongside his dad as a kid. For many years, Brian dedicated as much or more time to the hunting dogs as he did to the cattle. But when the drought hit Texas several years ago, the quail population dwindled dramatically, drying up Brian’s business of guided quail hunts in Texas. Brian continues to train and board English Pointers but his numbers have decreased. Still no matter what comes his way, Brian takes it all in stride, giving thanks for his blessings in town and in the country.
