Changing of the guard highlights EETC Conference

A high-school instructor works on a Hydro-Gear gear box during a training session.By Dave Worden

The 17th annual Equipment & Engine Training Council (EETC) Conference took place April 10-12 in Bloomington, Minn., with some changes at the top. James Roche stepped down as the Executive Director in October 2012, and Erik Sides, formerly of Jacobson, was chosen by the Executive Board to succeed Roche. Sides will continue to bring the Board’s vision of getting certified technicians into the industry. He has some new ideas and programs that he feels will accomplish this task. Both the Executive Board and the General Board fully endorse his vision.

With this change, there was a renewed energy that the members saw and felt as they worked on the various programs and projects that have been in the EETC’s program of work. One of those programs was to make sure the EETC followed up on re-certifications, as well as looked into moving the testing to an online focus in addition to the traditional proctored options that are currently in place. Another program of work that the EETC is very proud of is the Accreditation Manual that is made available to help Career and Technical Schools and Colleges prepare and develop a training program for both equipment and engine training. The members reviewed, updated, and made the necessary changes to keep it current and viable for administrators and teachers to use.

The Executive Board also met to look at additional new programs and policies that the EETC will be bringing forward to further enhance the offerings to both technicians and dealerships. “Stay tuned for more and very cool programs and changes that technicians, teachers and the industry will find extremely beneficial,” said Sides.

In addition to the changes and reviewing of the tests and guides, both industry partners and teachers were able to participate in training sessions. Kohler Company presented a session on electronic fuel injection (EFI) using propane; Hydro-Gear covered a session on hydrostatic-drive systems.

The keynote speaker was Patrick Kelly, senior policy advisor for the American Petroleum Institute. He presented the latest updates and policy issues revolving around the E15 fuel debate, which will continue to be a hot topic within the industry.

The EETC is supported by distributors, manufacturers, schools, dealers and associations, including B3C Fuel Solutions, Echo Inc., Foley United, Hydro-Gear, Marr Brothers Inc., Oregon | Blount, Inc., Servantage Dixie Sales and The Toro Company.

Distributor of the Year Award winners Zach Lottes (left) and Scott Tindle of Midwest Equipment & Supply Co., Inc.

Brian O’Neil of B3C Fuel Solutions (left) accepted the Manufacturer of the Year Award from Dave Worden.

Tom Beheler (right) of Hydro-Gear received the President’s Award from Ed Cole.

Erik Sides (left) presented the Executive Director’s Award to Jim Letourneau of Foley United.

Spirit Award winner Rachel Roche (right) with Dave Worden

Jim Roche with his Fender Stratocaster Guitar autographed by Jim Vaughn, the brother of Stevie Ray VaughnAs always, the EETC held its annual awards banquet on the final evening of the conference. The award winners were as follows:

School of the Year: This is always a difficult choice for the Executive Committee as there are so many worthy schools. This year, the award was given to a teacher who is always trying to do the best for his students and always offering them a challenge. This year’s award went to Dan Weishaar of Hennepin Technical College.

Service Manager of the Year: This gentleman has continued to support the EETC and always has a can-do attitude. His devotion to help the EETC Board review and correct the by-laws of the association has been deeply appreciated. He has also never hesitated to hold certification sessions after a hard day’s work in presenting manufacturers’ update material. This year, the Service Manager of the Year was Art Marek of RBI Corporation.

Distributor of the Year: Here again, there were so many choices that the decision was based on this year’s commitments to the EETC. This distributor continues to support regional SkillsUSA contests in his area, use technical schools whenever possible to conduct meetings, and donate engines to schools to help them better prepare future technicians. This year, the award was presented to Zach Lottes of Midwest Equipment & Supply Company, Inc., Evansville, Ind.

Manufacturer of the Year: This manufacturer is still fairly new to the industry but has embraced the values and supported the ideals of the industry and the EETC. The company has donated service kits to schools and colleges to help them better spread the word and understand the knowledge of fuels being used in the power equipment industry. This year, that manufacturer was B3C Fuel Solutions.

President’s Award: This year, the President’s Award was presented to a company and an individual that are always available to help with schools by offering sessions to teachers to better understand the industry, supporting and reviewing the certification tests, as well as asking, “What can we do to help!” This is the attitude that Ed Cole felt was worthy of presenting the President’s Award to Tom Beheler of Hydro-Gear.

Executive Director’s Award: This award presentation was the first by Erik Sides as the executive director, and he had no hesitation in making a choice. He started by saying, “Once I was in the executive director’s position, I had lots of questions in regards to the financial issues of the association. Anytime I had a question, this gentleman was always available and not only helped explain, but became a confidant and friend.” This year, the Executive Director’s Award was presented to Jim Letourneau of Foley United.

EETC Spirit Award: This year, the entire Executive Board unanimously agreed on this choice. This person worked in the background, and went above and beyond the call of duty when it came to the EETC. She worked long hours in setting up and preparing for the conference and handled an inordinate number of e-mails and calls regarding certification questions. One of the most endearing traits of this person is that she does not consider herself a person in the industry, but she is the woman behind the man. This year, the EETC was proud to honor and acknowledge Rachel Roche, the wife of former EETC Executive Director Jim Roche.

In closing this year’s awards was a special presentation to recent retiree Jim Roche, whose unwavering dedication to the values and ideals of the EETC was incredible. For more than 16 years, he worked to constantly improve the programs and ideals of the association to bring “professionalism to the Power Equipment Industry.” The board raised money and presented Jim with a crystal award that simply stated: “James Roche – For his unwavering Dedication to the Ideals and Values of the EETC.” He was also presented with a framed lithograph from Frank Sinatra simply stating, “Meeting Adjourned.” The last gift was a Fender Stratocaster Guitar autographed by Jim Vaughn, the brother of Stevie Ray Vaughn. All of the money used to purchase these gifts was then donated by the Fender Foundation to schools throughout the country that need music program support.

Next year, the 18th annual EETC Conference will be held in Charlotte, N.C. For more information, check out the EETC’s website at www.eetc.org.