General News
31 August, 2022
Lewis nabs top award
BRANDT Terang’s Sarah Lewis has been recognised on the national stage after taking home Australian Parts Technician of the Year.
BRANDT Terang’s Sarah Lewis has been recognised on the national stage after taking home Australian Parts Technician of the Year.
Ms Lewis earned the recognition at the second annual John Deere Technician Awards in Crestmead, Brisbane, where she competed against a diverse field of technicians from across the nation.
She said she was humbled to be recognised after being nominated by her colleagues at Brandt Terang and a Cobden-based customer.
“The whole opportunity to spend the week up at the John Deere headquarters with other technicians we would normally be in competition with was just an amazing opportunity in its own right,” she said.
“To then be able to take out the title for the Australian Parts Technician of the Year for 2022 is hard to even put in to words.
“I’m so humbled to be recognised on that platform for what I do day to day with people I love working with.
“The opportunity to be a female in a male-dominated industry where you are respected based on your skill set is one great aspect, but to work with the team we do in Terang, who want to serve those in the community choosing to use John Deere products to support their business and their lifestyle, you just know you’re part of something unique.”
Ms Lewis said she was passionate about working for an industry which allowed her to be part of something bigger than anypersonal accolade.
“Everyone has something to do with this industry,” she said.
“Everything that goes in to the green grocers, it’s from that machine in that paddock orthose cows.
“From that foundation, there is a flow-on effect which so many people are involved in and we’re a small piece in the process ofit all.”
The awards presentation also provided an opportunity to network, allowing representatives from each branch to gain a deeper understanding of effective operation strategies.
“We’re all there for John Deere and for the customer, so no matter what dealership we were from there was no competitive nature,” Ms Lewis said.
“We were discussing issues, problem solving and different ways of thinking.
“We were able to share knowledge we could take back to our teams and customers.”
Ms Lewis has been working for Brandt Terang, formerly Cervus Equipment, for the past five years. She thanked her colleagues for their support and guidance, with particular mention of her mentors.
“I started off with my colleague David Leske, who has more than a decade experience, and my parts manager at the time was Mark Sagnol, who is a Mortlake local with 15 years experience,” Ms Lewis said.
“Without the opportunity to be mentored by two gentlemen with so much experience in the industry, I don’t think I would have been in a position to be where I am in my career today or to support our customers.
“If you’re not going above and beyond, and just doing the bare minimum, I don’t think you can achieve the best you can do.”
The John Deere Technician Awards were first held in 2021 to recognise the skill and dedication of John Deere technicians from across the nation.
John Deere Australia and New Zealand managing director Luke Chandler congratulated each of the Australian winners and finalists on their “outstanding achievement”.
“This year’s winners all share extensive technical expertise and a true passion for their work, which made them clear standouts to our panel of judges,” he said.
“People like Jaymee (Ireland, who took home the top prize of Australian Agriculture Service Technician of the Year), who are dedicated to supporting operators get the most of out of their equipment, embody the exciting role of a tech, which is ever evolving as the agriculture, turf construction and forestry industries increase their adoption of sophisticated and highly efficient machinery.”
