Agriculture August 09, 2022
John Deere Australian Technician Award winners announced
Crestmead, Queensland (9 August, 2022) – JAYMEE Ireland, a qualified technician eager to see more women in mechanical trades in the agriculture sector, has been named Australian Agriculture Service Technician of the Year at the second annual John Deere Technician Awards on Friday evening.
Employed by Emmetts Roseworthy, South Australia, the harvester-specialist rose to the top of a competitive field of more than 100 award nominations from across both Australia and New Zealand.
The hardworking 22-year-old's interest in heavy machinery was first piqued when growing up near cane farms at Mossman, Far North Queensland, where her grandfather, Charlie Brischetto, showed her the ropes of John Deere harvesters.
Today, she plays an essential role ensuring farmers' equipment is working at peak performance across her region's thriving broadacre agriculture and vineyard industries.
"For me, it was an honour just to be nominated for the awards," Jaymee said.
"All technicians work incredibly hard so it's special to see that effort being recognised. I have always had a huge love for John Deere, when I was a kid I had John Deere merchandise all throughout my bedroom, so I feel the younger version of myself is very proud."
With a deep passion for her work, Jaymee is eager to see more young women seize the opportunities of completing mechanical trades within the farm sector.
"Whenever I am attending career days, I am always trying to catch the attention of the girls and bring them over to explain the job," she said.
"Being a John Deere technician can be so rewarding, as you know you are helping our farmers maximise their uptime and get the most out of their machines. It's always a great feeling when you can tell a customer is really happy with your work."
The John Deere Technician Awards were established in 2021 to champion the skill and dedication of the high-performing techs who not only provide vital backup support to customers, but also help to ensure operators achieve the best possible performance from their equipment.
John Deere Australia and New Zealand Managing Director, Luke Chandler, congratulated Jaymee and each of the Australian winners and finalists on their outstanding achievement.
"This year's winners all share extensive technical expertise and a true passion for their work, which made them clear standouts to our panel of judges," Mr Chandler said.
"People like Jaymee, who are dedicated to supporting operators get the most of out of their equipment, embody the exciting role of a tech, which is ever evolving as the agriculture, turf construction and forestry industries increase their adoption of sophisticated and highly efficient machinery."
Technicians were nominated by their dealerships, with input from customers, and were judged on their mechanical and technical expertise, as well as their previous accomplishments in the field or on the job.
In total, more than 100 nominations from across Australia and New Zealand were received for this year's award program, with finalists competing in six different categories, including Agriculture Service Technician of the Year, Construction & Forestry Service Technician of the Year, Turf Service Technician of the Year, Service Apprentice of the Year, Parts Technician of the Year and Parts Apprentice of the Year.
Australian Parts Technician of the Year
The Australian Parts Technician of the Year was awarded to Brandt Terang Parts Manager, Sarah Lewis.
Growing up in regional Victoria on a small farm around mechanically-minded relatives instilled a fundamental understanding of the crucial role parts play in farming businesses operating under tight timeframes.
"I feel so humbled to be named Australian Parts Technician of the Year," Sarah said.
"As a parts technician, each day I am supporting customers by giving them confidence they are receiving the right parts as timely as possible for their operation. This ensures their operation can be up and running 24-hours a day.
"With this award, I feel my skillset in supplying parts has been recognised as being among the best in the country, and I feel so proud to be able to showcase the unique skills and talents of parts techs through this competition."
Western Australia
John Deere Parts Apprentice of the Year
In the apprentice category, Western Australia's Mitchell Channer, South Guildford, AFGRI Equipment, was named the John Deere Parts Apprentice of the Year in a competitive field drawn from across Australia and New Zealand.
"It meant so much to be to be named a finalist in the awards, it was a real privilege and I felt proud to be representing my dealership and Western Australia," Mitchell said.
"Now to have won, I feel very honoured and I am looking forward to celebrating with my boss and colleagues who have supported me through my training."
Mitchell has a knack for problem solving and embraces the daily challenges of his role in supplying AFGRI Equipment's customer base with a vital flow of parts. Customers often say they're surprised to learn he's still a trainee as his in-depth knowledge of the John Deere product range is beyond his years.
Construction & Forestry Service Technician of the Year
Max O'Brien was named the Construction & Forestry Service Technician of the Year.
The talented tradesman, who works for RDO Equipment Wingfield, South Australia, vied for the title against five other Construction and Forestry technician finalists from across Australia and New Zealand, and excelled during the hands-on practical testing at John Deere's Crestmead workshop.
"I have never been a part of anything quite like the awards before, so it has all been new and exciting for me," Mr O'Brien said. "Being named a finalist was huge for me as it was recognition of my hard work ensuring customers are always up and running. I feel proud to have won, as I know just how hard all technicians work in helping operators get the most out of their machines."
Throughout his career, Max has prioritised being at the forefront of technology and innovation, and has consistently strived to acquire new skills and complete further training. This commitment to continual improvement has helped him earn a reputation for bringing a methodical approach to machine diagnostics, and he said he particularly enjoys the problem-solving element of his job.
"Carefully listening to the precise needs of customers, be they a small owner-operator business running one machine or a large-scale contracting venture with a growing fleet, has been vital in me building a relationship with our customers," he said.
Turf Service Technician of the Year
Adam Kent, a talented technician who works to ensure one of Melbourne's most prestigious racecourses has pristine turf, was named the Turf Service Technician of the Year.
In a hotly contested category, Adam, from Brandt Knoxfield, Victoria, competed against five other turf technicians from across Australia and New Zealand to clinch the Trans-Tasman title.
"I honestly feel surprised to have won, as I know just how dedicated and hardworking all John Deere turf technicians are," Adam said.
"However, I feel so proud to be representing my dealership. I see the accolade as confirmation for the past decade I have worked in the industry."
Adam forged his career as a John Deere technician after completing a mature-age apprenticeship to garner his qualifications. Since then, he has worked up through the ranks and his technical knowledge, diagnostic skills and positive attitude are well-respected by customers, including one of Melbourne's most prominent racecourses, which relies on perfectly maintained turf for its operations.
"Being a John Deere technician means you are involved with the latest technology, and helping customers ensure they are getting the most out of it. It is a very rewarding job," he said.
LIST OF AUSTRALIAN FINALISTS AND WINNERS:
Agriculture Service Technician of the Year
(will compete for Australia only Award)
- Jaymee Ireland, Emmetts, Roseworthy, South Australia - WINNER
- Vincent Powditch, RDO Equipment, Taree South, New South Wales
- Karl Moschella, Honeycombes, Ayr, Queensland
- William Lawless, Brandt, Sunshine, Victoria
Construction & Forestry Service Technician of the Year
(Competed against two New Zealand technicians for a combined New Zealand/Australian Award)
- Peter Roughley, RDO Equipment, Eastern Creek, New South Wales
- Scott Jackson, RDO Equipment, Richlands, Queensland
- Max O'Brien, RDO Equipment, Wingfield, South Australia - WINNER
- Ben Mummery, AFGRI Equipment, Albany, Western Australia
Turf Service Technician of the Year
(Competed against two New Zealand technician for a combined New Zealand/Australian Award)
- Cameron Black, RDO Equipment, Lismore, New South Wales
- Michael Gemzik, RDO Equipment, Loganholme, Queensland
- John Mooney, AFGRI Equipment, South Guildford, Western Australia
- Adam Kent, Brandt, Knoxfield, Victoria - WINNER
Service Apprentice of the Year Finalists
(Competed against two New Zealand apprentice for a combined New Zealand/Australian Award)
- Oliver Dean, Hutcheon & Pearce, Cowra, New South Wales
- Jack Jones, RDO Equipment, Roma, Queensland
- Josh Kramer, Emmetts, Roseworthy, South Australia
- Thomas Conroy, Brandt, Ballarat, Victoria
- Logan Robertson, Southland Farm Machinery, Invercargill, New Zealand - WINNER
Parts Technician of the Year Finalists
- Sally Clayton, Hutcheon & Pearce, Forbes, New South Wales
- Caitlin Williams, RDO Equipment, Gympie, Queensland
- Dillon James, AFGRI Equipment, Narrogin, Western Australia
- Sarah Lewis, Brandt, Terang, Victoria - WINNER
Parts Apprentice of the Year Finalists
(Competed against one New Zealand apprentice for a combined New Zealand/Australian Award)
- Kaylyn-Rose Netrval, RDO Equipment, Rutherford, New South Wales
- Lauren Cortes, RDO Equipment, Dalby, Queensland
- Mitchell Channer, AFGRI Equipment, South Guildford, Western Australia - WINNER
- Matt Harvey, Midland Tractors, Longford, Tasmania
About Deere & Company:
Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services and is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land - those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world's dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure. Since 1837, John Deere has delivered innovative products of superior quality built on a tradition of integrity. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at JohnDeere.com or in Australia at JohnDeere.com.au.
Media Contacts:
Stacey Wordsworth
0438 394 371
stacey.wordsworth@bluehillpr.com.au
Hannah Hardy
0421 196 004
hannah.hardy@bluehillpr.com.au
