Change, Chance, and Choice

H

ailed a masterpiece, Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 is one of America’s favorite novels whose inspirational reach hits far closer to home than you might realize.

“Catch-22 has a story where all the planes are flying a certain direction. One guy zigged when he should have zagged—and it was disastrous,” Greg Gatzke shares as we discuss the inspiration for the moniker of the tech company he founded and built alongside Jim Hunton for nearly 20 years.

It’s lasting impression was “ZAG” Technical Services was the way to go, and so the two have shared with produce companies as technologies have evolved and expanded throughout the industry.

Sitting in the company of these giants on the precipice of their retirement, we talk change, chance, and choice as they reminisce on how everything fell into place to become ZAG Technical Services—known and trusted guide to agriculture.

So, I figured, ag was intentional—or at the very least clever—to include in the name.

“If it’s luck, is it clever?” Greg inquires, while Jim likewise says, “We like to keep it simple.”

The two minds mirror each other, reflecting how they make a powerhouse team.

For two gents who like to keep it simple, they’ve made quite the impact on the landscape of how produce does business. As Thuan Ngo, Chief Operating Officer, explained, produce C-suites today come together and talk technology because of Greg and Jim.

Humbly, Greg observes it is more about speaking the language leaders needed to hear to understand the promise of technology.

“Because we understand their businesses and we understand technology, we’re at the intersection and able to talk through it. People are hungry for those who want to improve their business. Technology is the fastest way to do that,” he reflects of the accomplishment.

As I sit back from an external vantage point, I see how a double-edged passion made that critical intersection possible. Greg made the leap from Silicon Valley knowns like Facebook and Google to agriculture because he loved the people. Jim fed this fire with an equal passion for all things technology.

“I’m 100 percent Silicon Valley born and raised, growing up in Santa Clara, California. IT consulting is what I’ve always done professionally because I love it,” Jim says. “I enjoy technology. What we work with is just really fun electronic toys I get to play with to find out how to correctly solve customers’ problems. It often isn’t the most expensive or the newest option that works, so we really try to align people with what is right for them. That’s what I like. Working out that puzzle to help customers succeed.”

Greg points out that he walked a different path to the same destination.

“Similar to Jim, my first job out of college was at the very large McDonald Douglas’s corporation, and I realized that wasn’t for me quickly. I wanted to be able to just build, contribute, and develop something. Owning a company has been critical to that,” he reflects. “I grew up on my family’s farm in Wisconsin. They lost the farm in the ’90s along with many others, and I came to the Silicon Valley. I started there in 1998 when opening the company and we found our way back to ag in 2004.”

While the external impacts are incredible, it’s the internal legacy Greg treasures most as he and Jim prepare to pass leadership of ZAG onto Eric Regnier, Chief Executive Officer, and Thuan.

“We’ve created a business that employees love working at. They understand the mission to enable clients to succeed. It seems like a tagline, but when you internalize it and believe it, it becomes a culture. We’ve created that in an industry I grew up in and understand. It’s home,” Greg reflects.

Jim seconds this with his belief that ZAG’s service-oriented approach has made all the difference.

“People are hungry for those who want to improve their business. Technology is the fastest way to do that.”

Greg Gatzke, Chairman and Founder, ZAG Technical Services

“It’s never been about a quick fix. It’s about long-term relationships. Customers come to us with problems. We help them find a solution. And, in produce, more problems come up, so customers remember we’re going to present what will work,” he summarizes. “It has never stopped being rewarding.”

And like finding the right solution to the puzzle, both leaders feel they have found the right fit for succession in Eric and Thuan.

“These are forward-looking people who understand not just where technology is today, but where it’s going. They understand the industry and are empathetic to it and to the employees. It’s a perfect foundation for us,” Greg says. With a smile, he adds, “We found a couple of unicorns, basically, that are going to do the right thing to take this forward.”

In an industry constantly searching for tools to maximize performance and minimize room for error, those who understand and speak the language of both technology and ag are critical to our future. This is the gift Greg and Jim have given us.

“I believe to my core that we’ve made the industry better. We have made it more efficient. In many cases, we have shown them how to utilize technology in a better process. We’ve helped companies recover from massive cyber attacks and walked them through to the other side. We’ve established some really, really good relationships which grew into friendships,” Greg reflects.

Jim complements this by sharing how ZAG’s truest contribution is to help.

“Never was the solution to just throw money in technology at something, but to do it thoughtfully,” he shares. “I see a thousand new things a year, and maybe three of them apply to our problems. The newest option isn’t always the best one, and the best is what we’ve always worked to find for our clients to have a real impact. And that has also meant that even limited budgets were able to utilize what we could provide. Selling versus solving: We’re really trying to solve problems, not sell things. I’m proud that we’ve always operated that way.”

As Greg and Jim both step back to support the next generation of this philosophy, the former will continue to work with the industry and various companies to share knowledge while the latter will continue to be involved with ZAG in a reduced role further from day-to-day goings on.

“Selling versus solving: We’re really trying to solve problems, not sell things. I’m proud that we’ve always operated that way.”

Jim Hunton, Chief Technology Advisor, ZAG Technical Services

Eric recently said it best: “The themes of service, contribution, and impact are core to who I am, and it’s uniquely meaningful to lead this team in supporting, protecting, and enabling the nation’s food supply. Greg and Jim built a strong legacy of supporting ZAG’s people to achieve that mission—a legacy I’m committed to and excited to uphold.”

More than a company, these two leaders have built a community. With true change in mind, our industry has been shifted in no small measure by the movement they helped galvanize through navigating the intersection between issues and solutions, driven by a desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

Thank you, Greg and Jim, for seeing us through. I, for one, am excited to watch those you’ve mentored take it from here.