BLACKFOOT — Meet Lukas Selke from Germany. He was an engineering student intern at Blackfoot’s Spudnik facility, gaining hands-on experience in designing and manufacturing complex farming equipment.

Spudnik specializes in all aspects of potato and vegetable cultivation, harvesting and transporting.

Much like Selke, Spudnik is bringing in other German interns with two more set to arrive in August. Spudnik is looking for local host families willing to provide housing to the German interns while they work here.

What is Spudnik’s connection to Germany? Though Spudnik is an American company with roots deep in Idaho’s soil, it is now part of Grimme, a German company.

It all began in 1958 with two hard working brothers, Carl and Leo Hobbs, who convinced their employer that shoveling potatoes by hand wasn’t efficient. They wore him down until he allowed them to use spare parts and create a better way, if they could. They did. Soon they had a digger and conveyor belt system working – revolutionizing potato harvesting. That was 65 years ago.

To understand how the Hobbs named their company, you have to understand 1958. The world was still rocked by the Russians launching the satellite Sputnik in the fall of 1957, the first artificial satellite to orbit the earth. By doing so they were the first to enter space. Perhaps the Hobbs brothers felt they were also leading the world forward – this time into mechanical potato harvesting? They decided Spudnik was an appropriate name.

Carl and Leo kept building innovative potato industry equipment for the next 50 years. Meanwhile, in Damme, Germany the Grimme Group owned by Franz Grimme started trying to expand their potato harvesting machines into America. That worked okay in California since the kind of potatoes being harvested there were like the Europeans’ small potatoes. To an Idahoan they would be about seed potato size.

Next, Grimme sent some machines to Idaho – the potato capital – for a final test. The machines failed completely due to Idaho’s heavier soils and its much, much larger potatoes. This led to discussions with Spudnik over the next decade. Eventually Grimme sent an employee over to collaborate with and learn from Spudnik.

By 2003, Leo Hobbs was ready to sell and Grimme became their parent company with the previous liaison, Rainer Borgmann, returning to be CEO. Since then, Spudnik has continued to grow, now employing 500 people. It has also expanded its crop expertise to include the sugar beet and vegetable industries.

Though there are parts and service locations in potato harvest areas such as Rexburg, Grafton, North Dakota and Alberta, Canada, its headquarters are in Blackfoot where all its machines are designed and manufactured.

Understanding the power of an internship program, Borgmann has been offering young German engineering students a chance to gain practical experience in areas they are interested in. Some come for manufacturing engineering or design engineering – or even IT experience. They always go out to the fields to see firsthand what problems the equipment is having in order to correct the problem or create a better design.

Selke is similar to Borgmann in that his Spudnik time became a permanent Spudnik position. He is now a Supply Chain Manager. However, Selke is also unusual. Most interns return to their homeland.

Besides career knowledge and experience, interns have a chance to immerse themselves in American culture a la Idaho. Spudnik is seeking host families that will welcome them and all their questions that are sure to arise. The interns are generally 22 to 24 years old, in their final years of university and relatively independent.

What is needed? Basic needs - a room to themselves, access to a bathroom, family meals, snacks. More especially, Spudnik is looking for families that are willing to help them experience local traditions, create lasting memories, and develop international friendships.

Transportation is provided by Spudnik, as well as compensation for host families - $175 per week or $700 per month. The intern program can range from 4 weeks to 6 months, though the average stay is 6 weeks.

Recently Spudnik has expanded into accepting Canadian interns, with their first one possibly coming in July. However, they are for sure expecting two German interns in August that they still need host families for – or host family. If a family has two rooms available and wants to host both interns, that is preferable.

If you are interested in being considered, email Brianne Williams at brianne.williams@spudnik.com.