Agriculture August 09, 2022
John Deere New Zealand Technician Award winners announced
Crestmead, Queensland (9 August, 2022) – GREG Bishop, a dual-tradesman and qualified scientist, has been named New Zealand Agriculture Service Technician of the Year at the second annual John Deere Technician Awards.
Employed by Southland Farm Machinery, Mosgiel, the Field Service Technician, who specialises in agricultural machinery, rose to the top of a competitive field of more than 100 award nominations from across both New Zealand and Australia.
Greg brings a unique skillset and extensive knowledge to his work, holding a Bachelor of Science, double majoring in genetics and plant biotechnology. After spending years working in management positions within the dairy sector, he switched careers in 2017 and joined the team at Southland Farm Machinery. He completed his Heavy Diesel trade and joined the field service team three years ago.
Since making this transition, Greg has also completed an auto-electrical trade, which he anticipates will further strengthen the service he offers customers, particularly given John Deere's intent to launch a range of electric tractors in New Zealand.
"I feel so honored, as this is truly a highlight of my career," Greg said.
"When I was first nominated, I felt super stoked, as it was such a great feeling to have my work appreciated at this level."
Technicians were nominated by their dealerships, with input from customers, and then judged on their mechanical and technical expertise through a series of assessments at John Deere's headquarters in Queensland.
"I was nervous about the testing, but I was very excited to meet my fellow nominees and the John Deere staff, it has been a tremendous experience," he said.
Greg said he felt incredibly proud to work within the agriculture sector saying, "it's the backbone of the New Zealand economy".
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 Greg and each of the New Zealand 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 standouts to our panel of judges," Mr Chandler said.
"People like Greg, who are dedicated to supporting operators get the most 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."
New Zealand Parts Technician of the Year
The New Zealand Parts Technician of the Year was awarded to Megan Tree, Southland Farm Machinery, Gore, who switched careers from working as a veterinary nurse to become a Parts Technician about four years ago.
While Megan has always loved working with farmers, she had little knowledge of heavy agriculture machinery, so dove into the industry with a thirst to learn more that has helped to accelerate her career progression.
"It was quite a big decision for me to make the leap to become a Parts Technician, so to have won this award is just incredible," Megan said.
"I feel truly privileged to have won, as through the testing I have seen just how talented other Parts Technicians are in New Zealand – there was such a high caliber of finalists."
Megan's knowledge of the John Deere product is unrivalled at her dealership, and she has used her outstanding organisation and communication skills to build trust from farming customers.
"The most rewarding thing about being a Parts Technician is knowing you are playing a vital role in supporting farmers' business through sourcing and delivering the parts they need," she said.
South Island
John Deere Service Apprentice of the Year
In the apprentice category, Logan Robertson, who is employed by Southland Farm Machinery, Invercargill, won John Deere Service Apprentice Technician of the Year.
The Service Apprentice category was highly competitive, with Logan contending with a fellow New Zealand finalist and four Australian apprentices to secure the title.
"I felt so privileged just to have made it through to becoming a finalist, and I am proud to have now won as I am representing my dealership," Logan said.
Although Logan is someone who has always loved being hands-on "tinkering and fixing machinery", he also has a particular knack for emerging technology.
"John Deere is a world leader in precision agriculture, and that has made my role heavily involved in introducing new technology to farmers and contractors which will help to streamline and enhance their operations," Logan said.
"While I have worked with farmers who might be a little reluctant to adopt this technology at first, I have been able to demonstrate to them how tools like JDLink™ can not only improve their businesses but also help me provide faster backup support and empower them to maximise machinery uptime during critical peak season periods."
Logan will finalise his apprenticeship this year and is looking forward to further mentoring the next generation of technicians entering the industry.
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.
LIST OF NEW ZEALAND FINALISTS:
Agriculture Service Technician of the Year Finalists
(Competed for New Zealand only Award)
- Bryce Dickson, Brandt, Whangārei, North Island
- Greg Bishop, Southland Farm Machinery, Mosgiel, South Island – WINNER
Construction & Forestry Service Technician of the Year Finalists
(Competed against four Australian technicians for a combined New Zealand/Australian Award)
- Stephan Ebert, AGrowQuip NZ, Hastings, North Island
- Nick Fargher, AGrowQuip NZ, Hastings, North Island
- Max O'Brien, RDO Equipment, Wingfield, South Australia, Australia - WINNER
Turf Service Technician of the Year Finalist
(Competed against four Australian technicians for a combined New Zealand/Australian Award)
- Hayden Pollard, Brandt, Whangārei, North Island
- Adam Kent, Brandt, Knoxfield, Victoria, Australia - WINNER
Service Apprentice of the Year Finalist
(Competed against four Australian apprentices for a combined New Zealand/Australian Award)
- Joshua Alexander, Brandt, Whangārei, North Island
- Logan Robertson, Southland Farm Machinery, Invercargill, South Island - WINNER
Parts Technician of the Year Finalist
(Competed for New Zealand only Award)
- Ben McShane, AGrowQuip NZ, Cambridge, North Island
- Megan Tree, Southland Farm Machinery, Gore, South Island - WINNER
- Megan Foster, Southland Farm Machinery, Mosgiel, South Island
Parts Apprentice of the Year Finalist
(Competed against four Australian apprentices for a combined New Zealand/Australian Award)
- Deena Martin, Drummond & Etheridge, Ashburton, South Island
- Mitchell Channer, AFGRI Equipment, South Guildford, Western Australia - WINNER
About John Deere:
Deere & Company is a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, golf & turf, construction, and forestry equipment. We help our customers push the boundaries of what's possible in ways that are more productive and sustainable to help life leap forward. Our technology-enabled products including the John Deere Autonomous 8R Tractor and See & Spray™ are just two of the ways we help meet the world's increasing need for food, shelter, and infrastructure. Deere & Company also provides financial services through John Deere Financial. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at JohnDeere.com or in New Zealand at JohnDeere.co.nz.
Media Contacts:
Stacey Wordsworth
0438 394 371
stacey.wordsworth@bluehillpr.com.au
Hannah Hardy
0421 196 004
hannah.hardy@bluehillpr.com.au
