John Deere Australia and New Zealand Managing Director, Luke Chandler, congratulated the finalists, recognising the huge value they bring to their dealerships, communities and the broader industries they support.
A former camel dairy farmer, an avid motorcyclist obsessed with the colour pink, and a collector of John Deere equipment scale models are just some of the 24 Australian finalists in this year’s 2024 John Deere Technician of the Year Awards. Source: Timberbiz
The Awards program, established in 2021, recognises and celebrates the important role technicians play in keeping John Deere’s customers operating to support Australia’s vital agriculture, construction and forestry industries.
More than 130 nominees from 69 dealership locations were put forward for this year’s event, demonstrating the momentum the awards program has gained across Australia and New Zealand. The Australian finalists will travel to Brisbane in early September for a final round of intense judging where they will be tested on their ability to perform hands-on diagnostics and troubleshoot and solve technical issues on the spot.
John Deere Australia and New Zealand Managing Director, Luke Chandler, congratulated the finalists and recognised the huge value they bring to their dealerships, communities and the broader industries they support.
“Technicians require a unique combination of mechanical knowledge, proficiency in digital technology and advanced problem-solving skills to support customers’ operations, helping them to increase their uptime, enhance productivity and promote sustainable practices across their business,” Mr Chandler said.
“All the finalists should be extremely proud that their dedication, hard work and commitment to excellent customer service was recognised by their dealerships and congratulated on passing the first round of internal judging.
“We look forward to welcoming the finalists to our headquarters at Crestmead, where their diagnostic and problem-solving skills will be put to the test in a series of complex real-life scenarios.”
Eight titles will be awarded across five categories in the 2024 John Deere Technician of the Year Awards, which includes individual country awards for the Agriculture & Turf Service Technician of the Year, Parts Technician of the Year, and Construction & Forestry Service Technician of the Year. One award winner, from either New Zealand or Australia, will be announced as the Service Apprentice of the Year. Five Australian apprentices will compete for the Parts Apprentice of the Year Award.
John Deere Australia and New Zealand Director of Aftermarket and Customer Support, Emma Ford, said while the group of Australian finalists were all individuals with exceptional skills, the one common thread was their commitment to their customers.
“This year, across our Australian finalists, we have a number of new entrants from all across the country, and we are pleased to welcome back several returning regional finalists and winners from previous years,” Ms Ford said.
“Some have come from traditional farming backgrounds and always had an interest in pursuing a career in agriculture or heavy machinery, whereas other finalists have made this career choice later in life.
“Regardless of their pathway to their current role, they are all deeply committed to delivering exceptional service for customers, and to making the most of all the opportunities they have to grow their career and excel in their field.”
The Award winners will be announced at the John Deere Technician of the Year Awards gala event on Thursday, 5 September 2024.
2024 JOHN DEERE TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR AWARDS AUSTRALIAN FINALISTS
Construction & Forestry Technician of the Year
(will compete for an Australian only Award)
- Hayden Cox, RDO Equipment, Eastern Creek, New South Wales
- Andrew Moat, RDO Equipment, Derrimut, Victoria
- Ben Mummery, AFGRI Equipment, Albany, Western Australia
- Johannes Viljoen, AFGRI Equipment, Busselton, Western Australia
Agriculture & Turf Service Technician of the Year
(will compete for an Australian only Award)
- Brady Gunter, Hutcheon & Pearce, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
- Karl Moschella, Honeycombes, Ayr, Queensland
- Rodney Pearce, Hutcheon & Pearce, Lavington, New South Wales
- Bradley Skinner, AFGRI Equipment, Esperance, Western Australia
- James Smart, Emmetts, Horsham, Victoria
- Zac Weir, RDO Equipment, Gympie, Queensland
Parts Technician of the Year
(will compete for an Australian only Award)
- Andrew Keller, Hutcheon & Pearce, Lavington, New South Wales
- Kirsten Rush, Brandt, Ballarat, Victoria
- Alex Tyler, Emmetts, Murray Bridge, South Australia
- Emma Whitbread-Edwards, RDO Equipment, Richlands, Queensland
Service Apprentice of the Year
(will also compete against two New Zealand finalists for a combined Australian/New Zealand Award)
- Owen Armstrong, Hutcheon & Pearce, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
- Daniel Barnes, RDO Equipment, Beaudesert, Queensland
- Samuel Dyer, Emmetts, Pinnaroo, South Australia
- Josh Kramer, Emmetts, Roseworthy, South Australia
- Nicholas Lattanzio, Emmetts, Horsham, Victoria
Parts Apprentice of the Year
(will compete against each other for the Award)
- Belinda Gade, Emmetts, Renmark, South Australia
- Matthew Giuntini, RDO Equipment, Eastern Creek, New South Wales
- Tracy Hogan, RDO Equipment, Emerald, Queensland
- Wyatt Sciacca, Honeycombes, Innisfail, Queensland
- Hannah Goedhart-Hutchings, AFGRI Equipment, Merredin, Western Australia
