Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 64 E very year, like the swallows returning to Capistrano, thousands of young people descend on Louisville, KY in late June. They are not there for a party, or a concert, or a sporting event. These are the (generally) young people that take part in the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. Competitions are held in dozens of disciplines to determine champions of the respective endeavors. It's a stirring sight and one that everybody should see if they ever get the opportunity. The appliance service industry is represented by the Major Appliance Refrigeration Technology (MART) competitions, which may be a bit misnamed, as all forms of major appliances are represented and tested on. Competitors diagnose bugged appliances and lay out their repair scenario in a timed format. Along the way, they are judged on their interactions with consumers, and prior to the actual repair competitions, are graded on resume development, oral and written interviews, and customer relations knowledge. The MART team, headed by industry veterans Greg Doster and Mark Pollitz, provides all the horsepower for setting up the competition floor, appliance bugging, and ultimately judging the competition. In an industry where it is very competitive and genuine cooperation can be a bit rare, this team pulls together in a great show of teamwork to make the competition the event that it is. Asurion, Bosch Home Appliances, CoreCentric Solutions, Electrolux, Fisher & Paykel, General Electric, Mr. Appliance, Professional Service Association, Reliable Parts, Sub Zero-Wolf, United Servicers Association and Whirlpool all took major roles in the event, as did independent service providers like B&B Appliance in Centralia, MO and Michaelson's Appliance Service in Tampa, FL. This year, the MART competitors included 16 budding appliance service professionals from across the country- up 3 participants from 2016 and continuing a trend upwards in MART numbers. The guests were treated to a BBQ lunch sponsored by Sub Zero-Wolf on Tuesday, a southern lunch supplied by Bosch Home Appliances on Wednesday, and a deli lunch sponsored by the MART team on Thursday, the actual day of the competition. In addition, General Electric hosted the group on a tour of the GE manufacturing facility at Appliance Park in Louisville. Upon completion of the competition, the following students were declared the top of the student and adult competition categories- STUDENT GOLD- Jeremy Flores- Miami, FL SILVER- Nicholas Normandin- New Bedford, MA BRONZE- Connor Brandt- Gaffney, SC ADULT GOLD- William Almon- Concord, NC SILVER- Terry Bush- Columbus, GA BRONZE- Breon Daniels- Miami, FL The appliance service industry congratulates these folks on their efforts to be the very best they can be, and we thank all of the competitors that took part in the MART contest this year. You are all winners. This competition, and the efforts put forth by tech schools across the country, are critical to the future performance of our industry. Appliance service technicians are a resource that we cannot do without, and yet the industry continues to lag badly in the development of these important cogs in the appliance ownership experience. It is incumbent on all of us in this industry, whether we are performing as a manufacturer, service supplier, parts distributor, third-party provider, or trade association, to continue to work together to develop ways to get qualified people into the industry that can take on the role of service technician. It is not an easy thing to do- it's a tough job and the criteria can be daunting, but these roles are absolutely necessary to continue to grow and develop this industry. There are good people out there that can fill these roles- it's up to all of us to find them and bring them into the fold. So a tip of the cap to everyone that had a role in the 2017 competitions, and we'll all be ready to meet back in Louisville in 2018 in the next chapter of this ongoing tale. Believe us when we say all offers of assistance and support are welcome! S E R V I C E D E P A R T M E N T BUILDING APPLIANCE SERVICE PROFESSIONALS- THE SKILLSUSA EXPERIENCE RO Randy Carney Director of PSA

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