Meet TEAM Member Spotlight – Jason Koskela – Sr Project Manager, TEAM Bagley

Before Jason ever walked through the doors at TEAM Industries, he had already lived a few different lives.

Born in Park Rapids, Jason moved to Montana with his family in 1985 and graduated high school there in 1991. Right after graduation, he headed to WyoTech in Laramie, Wyoming, where he studied Autobody and Collision. From there he worked in body shops, first back in Montana and then in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, before stepping away from painting for health reasons and returning to the Park Rapids area.

In January 2000, Jason joined the TEAM family. He started as a machinist at the Park Rapids facility, and within a year he had moved to Bagley to work as a test driver alongside Dave Gordon. In 2003, he transitioned into TEAM’s Aftermarket division, where he would spend the next 14 years traveling to trade shows, working directly with racers and customers, and building a reputation as one of the most skilled vehicle calibrators in the industry.

That reputation was well earned. On the weekends from 2004 to 2018, Jason worked with a professional snowmobile racing team, tuning machines at the highest level of competition. He traveled to the Winter X Games in Aspen three times, and in his first year there, the team brought home the gold medal.

“I enjoy the aftermarket the most,” Jason says. “Traveling to trade shows and interacting with all the racers and customers.”

In 2017, Jason stepped into his current role as Sr Project Manager, where he continues to bring that same hands-on precision to everything he does. Outside of his regular project management responsibilities, he still gets behind the wheel to calibrate vehicles alongside the customer a rare combination of engineering knowledge and real-world driving expertise that few people can match.

His supervisor puts it clearly: Jason has a precise understanding of performance envelopes and the trade-offs required to optimize drivability and vehicle responsiveness. He is regarded as one of the top vehicle calibrators in the country.

For Jason, Driving Innovation means engineering new products and ideas for the industry. “It’s been fun to work on new product and see it sold to a major manufacturer and know you were part of the process getting it to production.”

Outside of work, Jason is married to his wife Tracie, and their son Wyatt is graduating this year. When he is not at the shop, you will find him hunting and fishing every chance he gets.

When asked what he likes best about TEAM, Jason’s answer gets to the heart of it: “Small enough company where you get to know most of the people.” And for anyone considering a career here, he says TEAM offers a small-town atmosphere with a lot of different job opportunities.

Over 26 years of dedication, expertise, and a gold medal to show for it. We are proud to have Jason representing the TEAM family at Bagley.

Thank you, Jason, for everything you bring to TEAM.