EETC returns to its roots for 16th annual conference

By Dave Worden

The Equipment & Engine Training Council (EETC) returned to its birthplace in Dallas, Texas, for its 16th annual conference April 12-14 at the Westin Dallas Fort Worth Airport Hotel.

The conference offered programs for educators and manufacturers, as well as the annual review of the certification tests and study guides. While I was attending the conference, I came across the following quote: “Education is about the only thing lying around loose in the world, and it’s about the only thing a fellow can have as much of as he’s willing to haul away.” That appeared to be the case this year with all concerned — they took away what they could haul.

This year’s conference was sponsored by the following companies: B3C Fuel Solutions, Echo Incorporated, Foley United, Marr Brothers, Oregon Cutting Systems and The Toro Company. The workshops, which were presented by Echo, Kawasaki, Multex Services, SkillsUSA and B3C Fuel Solutions, generated spirited discussions. They opened up everyone to look at the service industry and believe we are all OK and looking forward to recovering from the past economic woes.

The keynote speaker was Dave Lieber, a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He is also the author of two very interesting books, Watchdog Nation and The Dog of My Nightmares. Watchdog Nation helps readers understand customer service issues and does so with a great sense of humor. We also learned from Lieber how to get free coffee from Starbucks, so be sure to ask any of the EETC attendees how! More good news stemming from the conference was to hear that technician certification is still going strong. There was also some indication that more schools are looking at what is required to become accredited, which speaks volumes about the EETC’s efforts and goals to address and resolve the critical shortage of service technicians in the power equipment industry through its accreditation and technician certification programs.

As always, one of the annual conference’s never-ending programs involved the tireless efforts of the certification committees. They continued to review the certification tests to keep them current and valuable. There is also endless work on the study guides, which are used to help technicians prepare for the tests.

Brian O’Neil, middle, of B3C Fuel Solutions receives the Director’s Award from Jim Roche, left, executive director of the EETC, and Dave Worden, right, who was the previous recipient of the award.2012 award winners

On the final evening of the conference, the EETC held its awards dinner, where the following annual awards were presented:

Spirit Award

We are extremely thankful that this person is on our team. He continues to lead and move the organization forward. During the past several years, whenever the EETC needed something, we called this person and explained our dilemma to him, and he responded, “Sure, no problem!” That person is Ed Cole of The Toro Company.

Manufacturer of the Year

Unable to distinguish between two worthy companies for Manufacturer of the Year, we presented this award to both. One company has always been a dedicated supporter of the EETC; the other just keeps building and supporting the beliefs of the EETC. Both spend considerable time and effort to promote certification and push the need for quality technicians, as well as are leaders in design and innovation with philosophies that fit well with the EETC’s goals. This year’s Manufacturers of the Year were Ariens and Husqvarna.

Distributor of the Year

The EETC knows that fitting our certifications into an already heavy schedule is difficult for a distributor. However, this distributor seems to handle it with ease. It also has the most EETC Master Technicians of all distributors in the United States. This year’s Distributor of the Year was WESCO Turf Inc.

School of the Year

This award is always very difficult to choose. However, this year it came down to the answers to a few questions. Can you remember a special teacher in your life, someone who changed your path and caused you to become interested in something you never thought you would? More than that, can you remember someone who really cared about you as a person and wanted you to succeed? This year, the answers to those questions led to the selection of Larry Poor of Jetson Center for Youth.

John Thompson Memorial Service Manager of the Year

This award was established in memory of John Thompson, an early and passionate supporter of EETC. This year’s winner continues to exceed all expectations. He is a northern boy living in the South, but that doesn’t stop him from doing all he can to help dealers promote EETC Technician Certification. This year’s Service Manager of the Year was Andy Sadlon of Florida Outdoor Equipment.

President’s Award

This year, the President’s Award was bestowed on an individual who worked diligently to get his company to donate more than 10,000 engines, which were distributed to career and technical schools across the United States. These engines will help groom the next generation of certified technicians. This year, the President’s Award went to Jeff Steffen of the Kohler Company.

Director’s Award

This award is the one that always brings Executive Director Jim Roche to the brink of tears. This year was no exception, as I too got a little choked up. Both Jim and I have known this individual for close to 20 years. We both knew him as a scruffy, young kid with a big heart and determination, and now he is not only an owner of a leading-edge company, but he’s also the recipient of this year’s Director’s Award…Brian O’Neil of B3C Fuel Solutions.

New board

The EETC announced its 2012-13 board during the conference.

The Toro Company’s Ed Cole was named president. Rounding out the officers will be Vice President Kerry Malkerson of Marr Brothers, Inc.; Secretary Erik Sides of Jacobsen/Textron; and Treasurer Jim Letourneau of Foley United. John Chocholak will serve as immediate past president.

In addition to yours truly, the directors will be as follows: Jeff Talsma, Kawasaki; Scott Mack, Kohler Company; Wes Danielewicz, Turf Equipment Technicians Association; Brian O’Neil, B3C Fuel Solutions; Ron Jensen, Echo Inc.; Trence McCoy, LTC Shreveport; Tom Beheler, Hydro-Gear; David Smith, Rotary Corporation; and Jeff Telstad, Toro.

Jim Roche will continue to serve as executive director.

2013 annual conference

Mark your calendar now for the 17th EETC annual conference, which will be held in Minneapolis, Minn., April 11-13, 2013.

 Dave Worden is program director for SkillsUSA, a member of the EETC’s board of directors and a contributing writer for OPE magazine. He also possesses 40 years of extensive experience in the outdoor power equipment industry at the dealer, distributor and manufacturer levels.