Brad Wilmoth Wins 'Best Technician' Title
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Vehicle glass technician Brad Wilmoth of Hartford, Mich. took first place at the bi-annual Best of Belron® competition held recently in Orlando, Fla. Started by Safelite AutoGlass' parent company Belron®, twelve competing technicians were tested on all facets of their job including quality, safety and efficiency - while demonstrating windshield and body glass replacement, windshield repair and customer service.
Wilmoth was the 2008 Best of Belron® runner-up and this year recorded the first-ever perfect customer service score. As the champion, he took home a $10,000 prize and will travel to Paris, France in June 2010 to compete against representatives from 30 other countries in the international Best of Belron® competition. The international competition holds a purse of a year's salary and the title of best technician in the world.
"It's really a dream come true," said Wilmoth. "When I got home from the competition two years ago I immediately started working toward this one ? and here we are. It took a lot of practice and hard work, but I'm ready to go to Paris."
Columbus, Ohio technician Mark Jackson took second place. As the national runner-up, he received $5,000 and will travel to Paris as an alternate.
"The Best of Belron® is an important event for our company because it showcases the high quality work that our technicians provide to our customers every day," said Tom Feeney, president and CEO of Safelite AutoGlass®. "Having the opportunity to watch up close the work our technicians do creates great pride among our associates and appreciation for their work by our customers."
The additional technicians who competed in the national competition included:
- Bob Andis, Newton, N.J.
- Aaron Bowden, San Jose, Calif.
- Paul Cornelius, West Palm Beach, Fla.
- John Duff, West Allis, Wis.
- Nate Lockridge, Tucson, Ariz.
- J.P. Nordstrom, Colorado Springs, Colo.
- Brandon Rene, Salt Lake City, U.T.
- John Rhine, Carlsbad, Calif.
- Michael Robertson, Charleston, S.C.
- Fulgencio Velazquez, Houston, T.X.
About Safelite AutoGlass®
Safelite AutoGlass®, founded in 1947, is the nation?s leading provider of vehicle glass repair and replacement services, providing mobile service to more than 95 percent of the U.S. population in all 50 states. The Columbus, Ohio-based company employs 9,000 people across the United States and serves more than 3.7 million customers each year through its company-owned operations.