manufacturing associate

outside sales representative

administrative assistant

test engineer

manufacturing technician

AKE Safety Equipment

I was looking for an agricultural sales position for 6 months before I came across AKE.  I'll be honest... I skipped over it a few times before I responded.  It sounded too good to be true.  I felt I was in a dead end job and wanted more so I figured, what could it hurt to apply?  So glad I did.  I went to the interview with the owner and management in Rochester and was quickly impressed with what I saw.  The people are friendly and very supportive.  The owner pulls no punches and will tell you exactly how it is.  Very refreshing for someone to tell you straight up how the company is, how it operates, and what to expect.  Needless to say, I took the job when it was offered.  I was in the field for one month and was offered the regional sales manager position.  The way this company is growing, there is plenty of room for advancement.  If you aren't the ambitious type and don't want to move up to management, the commission is still lucrative and being a 1099, you make your own schedule.  All that's expected of you is 40 weeks a year to make 100k+.  Again, too good to be true comes to my mind when I read this... it's not.  It does happen.  One gentleman in my training class has already written over 100k in business in less than a month and a half!  You have the full support of the staff in our headquarters and the full support of your national and regional sales managers.  If you like being in the country, like talking to good-natured farmers, and like making money... I can't think of a better job.  Yes, I'm an employee for the company and proudly so.  I don't usually fill these out but I just wanted to share probably the best hiring/job experience I've had in my sales career.

A person will be successful in this job for only a short time if they are located in a geographical area that is proliferated with LARGE farms. There is no residual income and no salary , so if you want to continue to make good money, you must be able to make large sales regularly. There is no leads generated to assist, strictly cold-calling. Much of the US has already been exposed to sales reps attempting to market the product by means of cold-calling/direct sales. The product is great for what it does in theory, but you are limited with whom you can sell to due to the lack of certification on this product (farmers primarily). The compensation or commission for sales is good, but the price of the product is way over the top which makes for hard sales, period. This job description states there are no upfront costs for product, which is true, but there will be significant costs associated with vehicle expenses, i.e. fuel, maintenance costs, hotel accommodations once you’ve exhausted the options close to home and have to travel 2+ hours to get to the target area. Farmers being the primary target audience, operate on a set schedule, so you will be required to get in front of farmers early in the morning before they get started (6am or better) cold-calling on them or late in the evening (8pm or later) after a long day of work in the fields. Tough audience to sell to, they are very skeptical of cold-call sales and it doesn’t help that for a “national” sales company, their national marketing is almost non-existent except for when it comes to recruiting new sales reps.

The good: On boarding is phenomenal, 2nd to none. The company is definitely driven to help you in any way of the sales process. The other Sales Rep are very motivating and you do feel as though you are part of a team.

The bad: Pay structure is really unorthodox. They offer a draw system (if you want), but it's not worth it. You have to wait a month before you get your first draw check (never heard of this in any industry). I'm not talking about the commissions on the sales you make. It doesn't make sense to wait that long. The whole point of a draw is to help someone pay for gas and maintain their bills as their getting acclimated to the role. I dont care who you are, it's going to be bumpy the first few weeks. There are exceptions of course. Some people have sold right off the bat and that's great, but I had to work a second job just to pay for those basic necessities for which I thought the draw was for. It didn't work out for me because I didn't dedicate the time I wanted to, not because I couldn't sell. After just a month I was let go. My advice to any new person, do not take the draw system. Be prepared to have at least 3-6 months of living expense so you dont rely on the draw. It's also a hard sell, but I was ok with that. They tell you that in the training, they acknowledge it, but yet they expect you to sell right off the bat. Kind of contradicts their Core Values.


Advice to Management: I understand that this is a business. But, I bet the company has had a lot of people in my shoes. If a person chooses the draw they shouldn't have to wait a month to get that. I feel the company has too much integrity to do that to their sales people.

If a person is selected to work for this company, they are to report to the headquarters for a face-to-face interview with the CEO. I was one of the candidates selected and they covered the expenses for travel and hotel stay. They made sure to put me up in a nice and close hotel and I was greeted with a welcome bag with goodies and a hand written card. Upon arrival to the office, the staff was prepared for my arrival and greeted me at the door. The office was a relaxed environment and the training room had hundreds of pictures of their current and some past employees in which they are proud of. The CEO wasted no time introducing himself and getting to know me personally along with five other candidates. He let us know all about the company, what they expect and how we would be compensated. The training was unlike any other that I have had in the past because not only did the CEO personally perform the orientation, he also performed the training for the job over a two day period. After we were hired, we were given all of tools and knowledge necessary to perform the job successfully. Even better, the CEO arranged to have a sales manager go to each one of our territory’s to give us more training and field experience. This is by far the best training that I have ever received from a company and it made me feel important to have the CEO take the time to personally give it to me as acknowledgment that he wants me to succeed. I had a great experience and am looking forward to a long lasting relationship as a professional with the company.

Great Christian based company that puts Christian values ahead of profit.  You get to sell the best fire extinguisher on the market to the heart and soul people of our country, farmers.  You must be willing to put in the work, submit to others, follow the patterns of successful people, and again put in more work.  This company greatly rewards people who put in the work with a very attractive commission structure.  They also provide a ton of ongoing training once you are in the field with multiple people designated specifically to help you succeed.  I stress that you must be willing to work on yourself and then put that work into action.  Sales do not happen unless you act.  The sales managers all have a ton of experience and are always willing to share because they are invested in helping each person succeed.  The hardest part of the job is humbling yourself enough to realize you are the only thing holding you back.  It's not the price of the product, the economy, the territory, being a 1099, or any other excuse.  It does take a few weeks to get business going but once I did, the rewards flowed freely.  The best part of this job is making a difference in people's lives.  Having customers call me and thank me for saving their equipment, homes, lives and livelihoods.  There are not many sales jobs where what you sell makes this big of difference in people's lives. Bonus: I go to sleep at night with a clear conscious knowing I haven't been asked or forced to sacrifice my morals and beliefs.

I've been working for A.K.E. since February of 2017 as a sales rep in Texas and have just been promoted to sales manager last week.  The company on-boarding process is very thorough and well thought out.  The owner of the company personally interviews each potential rep and gives the initial sales training.  Shortly after the initial training, a sales manager will come to the new rep's territory and conduct field training.  Overall, each new rep gets 4 full days of training on how to sell the product and is given an exclusive territory.  Since the job is 1099, the rep has complete control of the work day.  The best part about this job is the work/pay ratio.  You can work a normal work week and make good money or work more and make great money - all up to the rep to decide.  I had great success in my territory - made 30K$ in my third month.  The company tries very hard to fill open positions from within so if you want to move up in  your career, there's a good chance you can stay with A.K.E. and achieve those goals.  If you're looking for a sales job representing a product you can be proud of, consider A.K.E.  The product truly is the best fire extinguisher on the market and we help people protect lives and property.

My experience at AKE over the past 2 months has been challenging but fun.The interview process was amazing and my trip to HQ was eye opening. My sales manager is awesome and always available to answer questions. The support of the team and my area manager is truly encouraging when times are tough. I thought I was good at sales but over the past couple months I come to realize this job has me second guessing that idea. I am not big on excuses neither are they... I am finding more and more each day that my territory has been worked hard in the past years and my target customers are actually current or have seen the product already. I have worked in the safety industry before and let me tell you farmers are a rare breed!!! and a TOUGH sale!!! The people in my area that actually care have purchased already and rightfully so, because the product is amazing. This is truly the toughest job I have ever had but the earning potential is worth it. If gas prices weren't so high this would be a dream job. Overall you get out what you put in - Freedom is great if your dedicated to the process - Product is great it saves lives..

After a year with AKE, I can confidently say that I LOVE my job! Each day I'm happy to get out the door to meet new people to discuss fire safety on their farms and in their homes. Basically you get to hang out with farmers and protect lives and livelihoods. 
-As a 1099 contract employee, I get to be my own boss 
-Work my own schedule 
-Amazing accountability/support team 
-Selling a world-class product 
-AKE provides you with all of the training, tools, and materials to be successful
-It's all up to you and your mindset

With that being said, this is not an easy job for just anybody. You have to be able to build rapport with farmers who are typically adverse to salesmen. Some might yell at you to get off their property. Dogs will want to bite you. You pay for your own vehicle, gas, and local marketing (should you choose). You do occasionally spend long hours on the road. I don't see any of those as downsides but many people would.

If you want to be an entrepreneur with great support and an amazing product, apply now! Your potential for success is unparalleled.
If you're looking for security with a salary and paid benefits, you're better off working for somebody else.

Pro: Excellent product. 

Con: Extremely over priced. Expect a lot of driving and burning up a tank of fuel per day searching for a farmer/rancher willing to pay for the high price for this product. Do you have the money to purchase fuel daily until you sell something at this 1099 sales job?

Be prepared for a group interview where they will ask you personal questions in front of others. Unless they have changed, they will ask the most money you have ever made types of jobs, etc. In addition, they will ask family members names, ages, dates of birth and anniversary dates. Additionally, How much money you need to make within the next year and 5 years.

Another FYI: They will pay for your hotel room, however, it will be with another candidate that you don't even know. 

They will also expect daily reporting of how many stops you made, how many people you spoke with, how many demo's you did, etc. In my opinion micromanagement. Be expecting to be pushed for more and more sales. Their are only a few that meet their expectations.

AKE strives to help the farming community by providing farmers with a revolutionary Fire extinguisher. Overall culture is great and positive. AKE's staff and management does everything possible to help their Reps be successful!  You may work as much or as little as desired as long as you are able to maintain company goals.  You will need a "thick skin" for the times you are not able to be productive.  You will meet some of the most amazing people, both within AKE as well as potential customers.  As in any sales position, you will have to be diligent in your approach.  Maintain records and contact info and learn about the products offered.  AKE's system is designed so that if you have any problems or questions, there is always an answer or solution.  The training received from management is good and they provide you with a wealth of knowledge.  Plan your days and weeks thoroughly before hand.  This is an overall fun and exciting position!

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