Meet our 2026 Regional Finalists who are progressing through to the final stages of the Technician Awards program.
2026 Technician Awards Regional Finalists
Parts Apprentice Technician of the Year Finalists
Lauren Lester, RDO Equipment Wellcamp, Queensland
Machinery parts technicians aren't typically known for their musical skills, but second-year apprentice Lauren Lester is bringing her orchestral background to a job which requires every team member to be in tune.
Lauren plays the clarinet, was selected as a Music Prefect during school and continues to perform with community orchestras and productions. Today, she uses those same team-focused skills in her role as an Apprentice Parts Technician.
"I think part of the reason I really like my job is I get to work quite closely with the technicians," Lauren said.
After an initial assessment by the workshop, Lauren's role is identifying the parts required and ensuring they are sourced for the mechanics in the timeframe needed.
"My favourite part is seeing the machine roll out of the shed when it's all repaired again," she said.
Lauren first started at RDO as a high-school student working part-time in reception on weekends and school holidays. After graduating she initially enrolled in a teaching degree, before realising her career path was at RDO.
Lauren is a humble team player, who loves helping people and is not afraid of taking on new challenges in the hectic environment of supporting approximately 50 team members across service technicians, apprentices and coordinators.
She demonstrates commitment to learning and understanding, follows department procedures and is determined to see that the right parts are supplied at the right time to keep her customers satisfied.
In future Lauren would like to combine her love of learning, her desire to teach and her growing knowledge of machinery, by becoming a trainer for up-and-coming technicians just like her.
Carissa Ryan, Hutcheon & Pearce Tamworth, New South Wales
For Carissa Ryan, helping people does not stop when the workday ends.
Alongside her role as a second-year Apprentice Parts Technician at Hutcheon & Pearce in Tamworth, Carissa volunteers with three emergency service organisations: the Volunteer Rescue Association, the State Emergency Service and the Rural Fire Service.
Thankfully, the calls Carissa handles in her apprenticeship don't come with sirens, but they still involve helping people and solving problems, often when every hour counts.
Carissa began her apprenticeship in 2025 and, eighteen months in, she said beginning a new career as a mature-age apprentice, with no background in agricultural machinery, had pushed her outside her comfort zone in the best possible way. She describes being a parts technician as solving a puzzle.
"Catalogues, machine information and customer conversations all have to come together before the right piece falls into place," Carissa said.
"I love working with people, asking questions and helping customers feel one step closer to a solution."
Carissa's has a strong work ethic, willingness to learn and commitment to excellent customer service. She approaches every task with enthusiasm and a proactive mindset, ensuring customers and technicians receive the correct parts promptly to minimise downtime.
Chelsea Jones, Hutcheon & Pearce Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
From driving and maintaining agricultural machinery in a silage and hay contracting business, to 'sitting on the other side of the counter' as a Parts Technician, Chelsea Jones knows her way around farming equipment and has a strong understanding of the support customers need to keep their operations running smoothly.
Joining the Hutcheon & Pearce Wagga Wagga team less than two years ago as an apprentice Parts Technician, Chelsea was determined to learn as much as she could as quickly as possible.
Her determination and strong work ethic have paid off, with her successfully completing her qualification early.
Chelsea customer service, a key trait she consistently delivers on and something she genuinely excels at, has been a standout. She approaches every interaction with a positive attitude and a willingness to go above and beyond for the customer.
Passionate about agriculture and invested in the success of her customers' farming operations, Chelsea has built a loyal customer base, who exclusively seek her assistance.
Despite being no stranger to agricultural machinery prior to joining the team, Chelsea said she has enjoyed learning about the range of John Deere equipment, as well as the many different components and various ways they can be altered.
This enthusiasm for the brand is shared by her two-and-a-half year old son, who is 'John Deere mad' and takes great joy in expanding his own mini fleet whenever possible.
Alex Sinclair, Haeusler's Shepparton North, Victoria
Alex Sinclair is not your average second-year apprentice parts technician - as a 26-year-old father, he came to the role at Haeusler's Shepparton with a background in restaurants and retail sales.
But stints working as a farmhand on dairies in Victoria sparked a curiosity about agriculture, and when a position became available at Haeusler's he jumped at the opportunity.
Here, his customer service experience shone through and it wasn't long before he was offered an apprenticeship to kick-start his career.
"I only had basic machinery knowledge at that time, but it was the complete package for me," Alex said.
"It's the right mix of conversations with customers, physical work, computer work and problem solving.
"It's about being able to continually provide the service the customer needs and wants, otherwise they're not going to stay loyal to the brand. Their experience with Haeusler's will shape their opinion of John Deere."
Alex is proudly also a Country Fire Service volunteer of 10 years and a 'go-to' source of safety knowledge in the dealership.
He has emerged as one of his team's leading parts technicians, with an infectious customer-focus and 'can-do' attitude, and doesn't hesitate in recommending his career choice to others.
"Whether you go into the part side of things or the mechanic side of things or the service, you will grow and learn as long as you're willing to," he said.
Logan Dobbs, Brandt Te Puke, North Island New Zealand
Logan Dobbs developed an early passion for agriculture, having grown up on a dairy farm on New Zealand's North Island, surrounded by heavy machinery and tractors.
After years of tinkering with tractors on the farm, it was a natural progression to pursue a career as a heavy diesel mechanic, but a life-changing workplace accident that resulted in the loss of his right arm in early 2025 limited his ability to spend his days on the tools.
Determined to remain in the industry he is passionate about, Logan transitioned to a Parts Technician apprenticeship with Brandt Te Puke in late 2025.
"After the accident, I told myself 'you can't put the arm back on, so you may as well just keep going', and I still wanted to work with tractors and machinery, so parts seemed like a nice way to go," Logan said.
"Being in this role means I can apply my mechanical knowledge in a new way."
Logan's experience as a qualified service technician allows him to provide accurate advice, diagnose faults and recommend practical solutions, earning him the trust of customers and colleagues alike.
Known for his positivity, reliability and willingness to help, Logan takes pride in delivering a high level of service and is enthusiastic about enhancing his product knowledge and ability to work with a wide range of customers.
In the short time since joining the team, Logan has become a valuable member of the branch. He has brought a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm for someone so young and new to the business.