Isuzu technicians claim place on the podium at international competition
[The team] competed against the world's best in a rather tough competition Dominic Rimmer ISUZU MOTORS SOUTH AFRICA EXECUTIVE: TECHNICAL SERVICES
It’s official – SA has some of the best bakkie technicians in the world. The Isuzu South Africa team came third out of 24 participating countries in the Light Commercial Vehicle Division of the 2018 Isuzu World Technical Competition, known as the I-1 Grand Prix, which was held in Thailand recently. This year marked the 13th edition of the competition. Representing Isuzu South Africa were Izak Stefanus (Stefan) de Wet, from technical support and field services at Isuzu Motors South Africa, Petrus Venter, from Williams Hunt Roodepoort in Gauteng, and Johannes van Heerden, from Westvaal Mashishing in Mpumalanga. The technicians were given several mechanical tasks to test technical competency and problem-solving skills on Isuzu bakkies. Technicians from the host country, Thailand, came first in the competition while Russia came second. According to Isuzu Motors South Africa executive: technical services Dominic Rimmer, the participants were selected based on their superior performance in technical competitions held locally. “We can comfortably say that our Isuzu technicians are among the best in the world. “They competed against the world’s best in a rather tough competition that comprised both a practical and a written exam,” Rimmer said. Isuzu had a comprehensive after-sales support system which includes regular skills development and training to ensure technicians kept up to date with the technological trends of new vehicles, Rimmer added. Participant Stefan de Wet, who served as the team’s coach, said the competition was extremely challenging, but exciting. He believes that the team’s success can be attributed to the excellent teamwork and camaraderie among team members. “We relied on each other’s strengths and allowed each team member to tackle the aspect of the competition in which he was more competent,” De Wet said. The I-1 Isuzu World Technical Competition takes place every year in Thailand and the SA technicians from within Isuzu’s dealer network are looking forward to taking on the challenge again in future.