WeAreTheChampions _Feature NovemberDecember

Volume 13, Issue 6 - November/December 2011

Feature

We Are the Champions
Maciel and Llano Walk Away as Gold Medalists in 2011 Competitions

Rick Maciel of Techna Glass traveled from Taylorsville, Utah, to compete at this year’s Auto Glass Week™, while Jose Manuel Llano traveled all the way from Gijon, Spain, for the same purpose. While both likely had very different journeys, they both had one thing in common: both walked away from the week with a gold medal in an international competition.

Maciel took first place in this year’s Pilkington Clear Advantage Technician Olympics (AGTO), while Llano prevailed in the Walt Gorman Memorial Windshield Repair Olympics (WRO).

AGTO Insider
Maciel, a second-time competitor, took home a grand prize of $10,000 for his win at the AGTO. He said his preparation for the competition included “many hours, lots of windshields and lots of practice.”

In addition to taking first in the competition, Maciel received an innovation award for the windshield-setting system he used during the competition.

Maciel, 34, has three years’ experience in the industry and was named installer of the year for Techna Glass in 2009. He also was recognized as champion in the company’s 2011 competiare time, Maciel enjoys spending time with his wife, Megan, playing golf and running.

Travis Crebs, also of Techna Glass, followed Maciel in second place. Crebs, 36, has 17 years’ experience and took home a silver medal and $1,000 for his placement in the competition.

Mark Reza of Glasspro Inc. in Mount Pleasant, S.C., rounded out the competition at third. He took home $500 and a bronze medal. Reza, 35, has eight years’ experience.

Contestants were judged in the following areas: professionalism and credentials; technician comportment and vehicle inspection; proper product usage; proper equipment and tools usage; windshield removal; installation technique; post-installation and clean-up procedures; customer wrap-up; in-depth knowledge; and correction of inappropriate conditions.

Judges for the AGTO were Bob Beranek of Automotive Glass Consultants Inc. in Sun Prairie, Wis.; Bruce Gates of Gates Brothers Glass Shops in Bellefontaine, Ohio; and Jeff Olive of Glasspro Inc. in Summerville, S.C. Lyle R. Hill, managing director of Keytech North America, emceed the competition.

WRO Winnings
WRO winner Llano, 48, has 13 years’ experience in the industry. This was his second time competing, and earlier this year he was recognized as the third-place winner in GlasWeld’s competition in Madrid, Spain. Llano took home $3,000, as well as a gold medal and trophy, for the win.

Llano was the first contestant from outside the North America to win the WRO.

“I’m very happy to be here with all of the other technicians and achieve what I’ve achieved,” said Llano shortly after the win. “

… This is the world reference for us in service and our job and if possible we will be here next year.”

Llano and his wife, Rosa, have a son, Sergio. In his spare time, Llano enjoys working in his fruit and vegetable garden.

Antonio Galvez of Walqaluna S.L. in Monzon, Huesco, Spain, rounded out the WRO at second place. Galvez, 36, has 12 years of experience in the glass repair industry. He took home $1,000 as well as a silver medal.

Chris Smith of Techna Glass in Draper, Utah, followed at third. Smith, 23, took home $500 and a bronze medal for the placement.

WRO contestants must complete a windshield repair in accordance with the Repair of Laminated Auto Glass Standard (ROLAGS™) and all contestants also must participate in a short, 10-question test about proper windshield repair practices (based on ROLAGS).

Randy Olson of Chip Medic in Bend, Ore., who took first place in the 2010 WRO, received a perfect score on the test.

The six areas judged in the WRO competition were as follows: customer greeting; technician comportment (professionalism/conduct); vehicle preparation; products to be used; repair technique; and post-repair procedures.

The WRO competition was judged by Frank Levesque of Glass Doctor in Waco, Texas; Dan Mock of HSG/Pro Glass Alliance in Eau Claire, Wis.; and Lucien Boulanger of A-1 Windshield Doctor in Seekonk, Mass. Gerald Zwart of Clearview Windshields in Inwood, Iowa, served as the emcee.