NEWS RELEASE July 11, 2022
New Zealand John Deere Apprentice finalists announced
Crestmead, Queensland (11 July, 2022) – A RISING forage harvester specialist and a precision agriculture champion will face off against four Australian apprentices in the race to become the John Deere Service Apprentice Technician of the Year at the second annual John Deere Technician Awards.
John Deere Australia and New Zealand Managing Director, Luke Chandler, congratulated Josh Alexander, from Brandt Whangārei and Logan Robertson, from Southland Farm Machinery, Invercargill, on their great achievement.
"Josh and Logan are demonstrating skills beyond their years and should feel immensely proud to be representing New Zealand for the John Deere Service Apprentice Technician of the Year Award,” Mr Chandler said.
"Year on year John Deere dealerships commit to training and upskilling both the service and parts apprentices across rural and regional New Zealand.
"The role of a technician, although traditionally hands-on, has become highly technical and apprentices provide essential backup support to farmers and help the industry fully realise the opportunities of precision agriculture.”
Mr Chandler also congratulated Deena Martin, Drummond & Etheridge Ashburton, who was named a finalist in the parts apprentice category.
Deena will now compete against four Australian Parts Apprentices for the hotly contested title of John Deere Parts Apprentice Technician of the Year.
"Parts technicians, like Deena, play an integral role in ensuring the agriculture, forestry and construction industries have a rapid flow of parts and equipment to their machines, which helps ensure businesses are working at peak capacity and productivity,” Mr Chandler said.
The John Deere Technician Awards were established in 2021 to recognise the hard work and expertise technicians provide across Australia and New Zealand, and their drive to support businesses to be their most efficient and productive.
In total, more than 100 nominations from across New Zealand and Australia were received for the Awards, 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.
The award winners will be announced at a gala event planned for 5 August Brisbane, Queensland.
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Parts Apprentice Deena Martin, Drummond & Etheridge, Ashburton, is a finalist in the John Deere Technician Awards.
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Josh Alexander, Brandt, Whangārei, North Island
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Logan Robertson, Southland Farm Machinery, Invercargill, South Island
NEW ZEALAND JOHN DEERE SERVICE APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS:
Josh Alexander, Brandt, Whangārei
Raised on the family's farm in Northland, Josh Alexander's fascination with mechanics, and John Deere equipment, began in childhood, with his parents saying he used to pull apart his John Deere pedal tractor to see how it worked.
"This curiosity to learn how things worked led me to where I am today - pursuing a career in the heavy agriculture industry with John Deere,” Josh said.
"I care about creating a sustainable future and am excited to be part of a company which is an industry leader in supporting our agriculture and horticultural sectors so they can continue to produce high-quality products.”
Growing up on a farm has also equipped Josh with years of experience in the tractor cab, which has proved invaluable when he is helping to diagnose equipment problems with operators out in the field.
Josh is not resting on his already well-established reputation. Enthusiastic about career progression, he has requested to spend time with Brandt Whangārei's Senior Forage Harvester Technician, as it's a field he would one day love to specialise in himself.
Logan Robertson, Southland Farm Machinery, Invercargill
Although Logan Robertson is someone who has always loved being hands-on "tinkering and fixing machinery”, the Invercargill apprentice has a particular knack for emerging technology.
After leaving high school he became a qualified motor mechanic at a rural garage, but later seized the opportunity to further develop his skills with heavy machinery and precision agriculture technology through accepting an apprenticeship with John Deere dealership, Southland Farm Machinery.
"John Deere is a world leader in precision agriculture technology, 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 times.”
Logan will finalise his apprenticeship this year and is looking forward to further mentoring the next generation of technicians entering the industry.
NEW ZEALAND JOHN DEERE PARTS APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR FINALIST:
Deena Martin, Drummond & Etheridge, Ashburton
Deena Martin commenced her apprenticeship in 2019, following a long stint working on dairy farms within the Mid Canterbury and Central Hawkes Bay regions.
"I chose this career path as I truly love agriculture,” Deena said.
"As a parts technician, I am supporting farmers every day as I know a fast supply of parts and equipment is crucial to their operations.
"The farming industry is constantly evolving with new technology, and I feel incredibly lucky to be part of this growth as the industry begins to rely on innovative machinery more and more.”
Deena has earnt a reputation for going above and beyond for farmers, which recently consisted of her driving more than 200 km with a fully loaded trailer to urgently drop off parts, saving the customer the two days of standard freighting time.
"Working with farmers is one of the best parts of my job, and I find it so rewarding to get a great result for them,” Deena said.
LIST OF NEW ZEALAND FINALISTS:
Agriculture Service Technician of the Year Finalists
(will compete for New Zealand only Award)
- Bryce Dickson, Brandt, Whangārei, North Island
- Greg Bishop, Southland Farm Machinery, Mosgiel, South Island
Construction & Forestry Service Technician of the Year Finalists
(will compete 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
Turf Technician of the Year Finalist
(will compete against four Australian technicians for a combined New Zealand/Australian Award)
- Hayden Pollard, Brandt, Whangārei, North Island
Service Apprentice of the Year Finalist
(will compete against four Australian apprentices for a combined New Zealand/Australian Award)
- Josh Alexander, Brandt, Whangārei, North Island
- Logan Robertson, Southland Farm Machinery, Invercargill, South Island
Parts Technician of the Year Finalist
(will compete for New Zealand only Award)
- Ben McShane, AGrowQuip NZ, Cambridge, North Island
- Megan Tree, Southland Farm Machinery, Gore, South Island
- Megan Foster, Southland Farm Machinery, Mosgiel, South Island
Parts Apprentice of the Year Finalist
(will compete against four Australian apprentices for a combined New Zealand/Australian Award)
- Deena Martin, Drummond & Etheridge, Ashburton, South Island
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
