Jackson Heldt ’23 — I had a terrific summer working as a sales intern for Biosynthetic Technologies. I would first like to thank Matt Kriech, Wabash College, and the CIBE program for giving me this wonderful opportunity this summer. Without their help, this position would have not been possible.
Biosynthetic Technologies is a small 12-person company in the lubricants industry, and they sell a biodegradable patented base oil technology to oil formulators. Being part of a small team, my role often shifted, and I was given a lot of wiggle room as to what I could do within the company. I primarily worked inside sales: performing cold calls and sending cold emails to people across the lubricant industry. Along with this main project though, I did various side tasks. For example, I worked with marketing to create technical data sheets for our website, and I helped with R&D by performing blends with sulfurized additives.
I have learned a great deal throughout this summer. The first couple of weeks in my internship were spent learning all the various terminologies and acronyms used in the business world–things like CRM, S&OP, and ERP systems. Additionally, sitting in on business meetings and sales calls was invaluable to me as I got to experience first-hand how business-to-business transactions were made. Outside of what I learned in the business world, I also learned much about chemistry and the different chemical properties that are important in the lubricants industry. This summer has been helpful to me in expanding my business experience and I am looking forward to future opportunities that this experience may lead to.
