What is the Association of Equipment Professionals (AEMP) Technician of the Year award?

The Technician of the Year Award from the AEMP Education Foundation is presented annually to recognize an individual as one of the best technicians in the heavy equipment industry. The award elevates the stature of the career and brings awareness to the ongoing labor shortage issue across the industry.

Who makes a great candidate for this award?

Any technician with at least five years of experience is eligible to be nominated. Nominees will receive further instructions on how to provide information regarding their education, work experience, credentials, safety record and philosophy, innovation, and professional presence.

How is a technician nominated?

AEMP created a free application process for employers and their nominees. First, an employer must submit a nomination for a technician using this electronic form. The employer will need to complete the form with the candidate, collecting basic information including name, email address, and phone number. If a technician was nominated in a previous year and didn’t win, they are eligible to try again the following year.

What is the judging process?

A panel of judges are selected to score the nominees’ applications based on six different criteria and are interested in the thoroughness of the submission. The criteria is as follows:

  • 10%: Recommendation based on information provided by the employer.
  • 10%: Years of experience the nominee has as a technician in the industry. Any current and previous work experience history can be included in this section.
  • 15%: Any education, certifications, or credentials held by the nominee can be listed here. The nominee can also include any history of education and training that enhanced their skills as a technician. This would include tech school, company training, or any education that led to improvement.
  • 15% Safety: The nominee will describe how they foster a culture of safety within their organization and ensure the safety of themselves, their crew, and the worksite.
  • 20%: Image/Professional Presence. Here, nominees can discuss the initiatives they participated in to positively change the image of the technician career. Local community volunteer work, being a mentor for a newcomer in the industry, and training provided to others.
  • 30%: Innovation. Nominees can review any innovative practices, tools, or applications they created or applied that led to an improvement in their work processes. This is a space to show where repair and maintenance practices were improved, and how their efforts resulted in positive change for an OEM, supplier, or client.

What are the benefits of winning this award for heavy equipment technicians?

Winners of the AEMP Technician of the Year Award receive a custom-designed John Deere gift, complimentary registration to the AEMP annual meeting (as well as up to $500 in airfare and two nights lodging), a complimentary 1-year membership with AEMP, complimentary access to the EMS certificate program and exam, and feature stories in EquipmentWorld and Equipment Manager magazines.

Who has won this award previously?

Here are the last five winners of the AEMP Technician of the Year award:

  • 2021 – Chase Snyder
  • 2020 – David Alligood
  • 2019 – John Kelchner 
  • 2018 – Troy Freyer 
  • 2017 – Lee Manzanares (Privavte Fleet) and Bruce Satterwhite (Public Fleet)

Who should I contact for help?

AEMP Marketing Manager Nathan Florek is available to answer any questions or concerns about the Technician of the Year process or forms. He can be reached at nflorek@aemp.org.