Meet our 2026 Regional Finalists who are progressing through to the final stages of the Technician Awards program.
2026 Technician Awards Regional Finalists
C&F Service Technician of the Year Finalists
Hayden Cox, Hutcheon & Pearce Penrith, New South Wales
From a childhood in south-west Sydney spent tinkering with cars and motorbikes after school and on weekends, a career in the machinery industry has been the perfect fit for Hayden Cox.
Hayden has been working on John Deere machinery for more than four years, joining Hutcheon and Pearce Sydney, in Penrith, in 2025 as a field service diagnostic technician after completing his apprenticeship as a mobile plant technician.
During his apprenticeship he further upskilled by undertaking a Certificate II in automotive air-conditioning and a Certificate III in automotive electrical, all while working on a range of construction and forestry equipment for customers up and down NSW.
Since joining Hutcheon and Pearce, he has expanded his skill set to include turf and agricultural machinery.
"It's been good to get my head around a different range of machinery and see a different side to things that I would have walked past before. I've learnt a lot about these industries because of these machines," Hayden said.
Most of all he loves contributing to the bigger picture by playing his role in supporting community and industry development.
"I'm dealing with people who are building the new Western Sydney International Airport and people building housing estates and it's cool to be a part of that," he said.
Hayden is a skilled and knowledgeable technician, with excellent diagnostic ability. His calm, methodical problem‑solving approach has earned him the trust of customers, many of whom specifically request him.
Bryce Wagstaff, Hutcheon & Pearce Penrith, New South Wales
For Bryce Wagstaff, becoming a finalist in the Construction & Forestry Service Technician of the Year award is recognition of a career built on adaptability, problem-solving and a commitment to helping others succeed.
Based at Hutcheon & Pearce Sydney, Bryce's path into the industry was far from conventional.
Originally interested in architecture, he instead began an apprenticeship with Kenworth, spending seven years in the heavy vehicle sector before a chance encounter took him in a new direction.
"I met a bloke at a pub, a friend of my dad's, and he was like 'hey, you want a new job?' and that was when I jumped into the plant game," Bryce said.
Today, he works across an incredibly diverse range of machinery, from golf course equipment and residential mowers to tractors, graders and dozers.
After nearly 15 years in the trade, Bryce recently stepped into a service foreman role, where he combines hands-on technical work with mentoring apprentices and supporting fellow technicians. He takes particular pride in being someone customers and colleagues can rely on when challenges arise.
"I've always liked helping people, and being known as being dependable is a good feeling."
For Bryce, the award is about more than personal achievement. He hopes his journey shows younger technicians that it's possible to have fun in the job, support those around you and still achieve at the highest level.
Bryce consistently produces quality work and has built a reputation as a technician who can be relied upon to diagnose and repair complex issues efficiently. Due to his ongoing dedication and expertise, this has remained constant in his new Foreman position where he has continued to lead by example.
Tom Fuhrer, Brandt Hastings, North Island New Zealand
Tom Fuhrer's passion for cars kickstarted his career, leading to jobs as a car mechanic and auto electrician before he was drawn to the challenge of integrating electronics with heavy machinery, and became a diesel technician.
These days Tom lives in Hawke's Bay but is often called to work as a field service technician in the busy Wairarapa region around Masterton.
Tom says his job demands 'technical independence, grit, and a first-time fix mindset.'
"Restoring productivity to customers in forestry and construction is critical, because in those industries downtime isn't just an inconvenience, it's a loss of livelihood," Tom said.
As a Capstone-qualified technician, Tom is proud to have achieved the highest tier of proficiency, enabling him to troubleshoot and repair issues in record time.
Tom loves to spend time with his family, as well as heading outdoors for hunting, fishing and diving, although a mishap with a jetski meant he was missing a front tooth for a while.
Tom has plans to mentor apprentice technicians, and coach them in remote diagnostics and regular sessions reviewing electrical tracing and schematics, to bridge the gap between theory and 'getting greasy'.
Cameron Wood, RDO Equipment Mount Louisa, Queensland
Before Cameron Wood knew he wanted to work on machines, he already had a thorough understanding of how to use them.
Growing up in Charters Towers, Cameron was surrounded by machinery from a young age. His father worked as a machine operator and truck driver, and Cameron would often be around the machines, helping grease them whenever he had the chance.
That early curiosity led Cameron into a career as a diesel fitter. He began his apprenticeship in 2008 and has now spent almost 17 years in the industry, including the past four years with RDO Equipment.
"When I was older, I started thinking about what else was involved with these machines," Cameron said.
As a Service Technician, he now covers a large area across North Queensland, travelling from Cardwell to Cairns, Mareeba to Cooktown and further west to support customers in the field.
Cameron's work ethic, customer focus and problem-solving skills are a stand-out, with customers now requesting him by name.