HORSHAM'S Josh Carter was named the 2021 Australian Ag and Turf Service Technician of the Year at the inaugural John Deere Technician Awards.
The Master Technician's superb technical knowledge, driven by a strive to constantly increase his expertise, helped clinch him the coveted title after 15 years of working for John Deere dealership, Emmetts, in the Wimmera region of Victoria.
"Technicians work hard each day to do the best job we can for our customers, so even being named among the finalists of the John Deere Technician Awards meant a lot to me," Mr Carter said.
It was almost a given Josh would eventually become an electrician or mechanic, given the fascination he had as a child with disassembling things to understand how they work. It is this curiosity, and a hunger for continual learning, that undoubtedly propelled him throughout his John Deere career, which started in his hometown, Rupanyup, and led him to now work at Horsham.
"With Emmetts, and with John Deere especially, there is never going to be a shortage of something to learn. My advice to young people interested in becoming a technician is if you think it's something you are passionate about, it's definitely the right choice," he said.
Servicing Wimmera's thriving broadacre cropping region, Josh has fostered close bonds with Emmetts' customers and has watched their farming businesses, and their uptake of technology, evolve over his years with the dealership.
"For example, when I started out, AutoTrac automated guidance systems were just beginning to take off and we were completing a lot of installs of that equipment," Mr Carter said.
"Today, this is technology that's integrated into farmers' day-to-day work, and is now very much relied upon by Australian producers."
With a personal philosophy to always do the best job he can, Josh is passionate about the next generation of technicians and makes time to work with and coach apprentices and team-mates coming through the ranks.