Awards are welcome recognition for Daniel Popovici from AFGRI Equipment in Albany, Western Australia.
The Romanian-born service technician said good news travels fast.
"My father and brother both work at a John Deere dealership in Romania and one of their customers saw on Facebook that I'd been nominated," Daniel said.
He's still surprised that his father, on the other side of the world, was hearing about his success as a finalist in the John Deere Technician of the Year Awards from customers.
"That day exploded! I got so many messages and calls from people who I haven't spoken to for years. They kind of envy me because we don't have anything like this in Europe."
Daniel has been a service technician for 12 years and initially learned his craft from his mechanic father, working on everything from light vehicles to heavy machinery in Romania before a job offer came up in Australia.
"It's hard to think of a more different place, it's literally on the other side of the world, but it's been amazing," he said.
"With John Deere and AFGRI Equipment we get top-notch training and professional development, and I'm really grateful for the opportunities they've given me."
But when Daniel's name was announced as the winner of the Australian Agriculture & Turf Service Technician of the Year, he said nothing could have prepared him for that feeling.
"No matter how much you visualise this moment, it doesn't even come close to what it feels like," he said.
"It's a great confidence boost and it's a great motivation to make myself better and serve our customers and keep them running."
For technicians who are often in the paddock helping customers and working through peak times such as harvest, Daniel said it was a great boost to win the award.
"It's a huge thing for us to be recognised and for John Deere to share their appreciation for what we do," Daniel said.