Agricultural aircraft manufacturer Air Tractor appointed Jeremy Prather as its new CFO. Prather will serve as a financial and strategic business advisor to the Air Tractor leadership team, including Jim Hirsch, president of Air Tractor.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jeremy to Air Tractor, where he will help inform and guide our business operations,” Hirsch said. “His considerable and wide-ranging financial experience among industry leading brands is an ideal fit for Air Tractor as we look forward to continuing our production and growth plans.”

Prather took over as CFO on Sept. 1 and will oversee Air Tractor’s financial planning, business planning, compliance, process control, cash flow and financial reporting. He also will supervise the company’s global finance team.

“I am very excited to join the Air Tractor team,” Prather said. “After watching YouTube videos on the company and founder Leland Snow, I was hooked. I loved the story. After the first meeting with Jim, I loved the vision. I look forward to our future together.”

Prather has a track record in finance, predominantly in the manufacturing industry, including time at a John Deere dealership, Caterpillar and ThyssenKrupp Elevator. His experience includes management of domestic and international business operations, sales, customer service, IT, finance, logistics and process improvement. He served as CFO at ThyssenKrupp Americas business unit’s manufacturing and R&D divisions, which included Brazil, a growing market for Air Tractor. He also served as CFO at Binswanger Glass, a branch-based business headquartered in Memphis, TN.

Prather will replace David Ickert, who is retiring as vice president of finance. Ickert will stay through the end of the year to facilitate the transition.

“During his tenure, David’s contributions have added tremendous value to Air Tractor,” Hirsch said. “We thank David for his 31 years of dedication to the growth of this company.”

At its Olney, TX, manufacturing facilities, Air Tractor produces a line of aircraft that includes 400, 500, 600 and 800-gallon capacity airplanes powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprop engines. The airplanes are used for agricultural aerial applications.