LAS VEGAS -

Mobile Productivity recently conducted its first skills competition that included 6,000 service technicians from 320 dealerships across the nation.

The winner of the contest called “REV it UP” that used the provider’s vehicle inspection tools and processes was Andy Holmes from Beach Ford Lincoln in Suffolk, Va. Competition officials said Holmes initially was tied with Jon Dine from Team Nissan in Manchester, N.H., but Holmes completed the challenge 30 seconds faster and was declared the winner.

As the winner, Mobile Productivity gave Holmes an eight-lap rookie package with the Richard Petty Driving Experience, $5,000 in cash and an OTC Pegisys scan tool valued at $5,500. Holmes, who has served as a technician for more than 20 years, has worked at Beach Ford for the past 11 years and has been a Ford senior master technician for 10 years.

“I really enjoyed being in such good company and in the face of such great competitors,” Holmes shared.

“I found that the REV It Up competition showed me and my co-workers just how much more thorough you can be at doing a multi-point inspection. We all found things that needed attention on the vehicle which others had missed, at every level of the competition. Anything that can teach you something about the profession you have chosen is worthwhile,” Holmes went on to say.

“To have won by less than a minute because both I and the runner-up had only missed a few items on the vehicle shows just how skilled we had all become by the end of the competition, and that’s saying a lot. Honing our skills to be more observant and aware of a vehicle’s needs will not only benefit us, but in the long run our employers and our customers as well, he added.

Dine finished up as the Northeast region finalist. The other regional finalists included:

—Midwest Region: Clint Ellison, representing Orr Nissan of Corinth, Texas.
—Northwest Region: Curt Kruse representing Jaremko Nissan Saab of Spokane, Wash.
—Southwest Region: Val Rodriguez, representing Cerritos Ford, Lincoln, Hyundai of Cerritos, Calif.

The company gave each finalist $1,000 and an OTC Nemisys scan tool valued at $1,349. 

“I am so impressed by the level of skill we have seen in this contest, and my hearty congratulations go out to the winners. It is quite something to come out on top of more than 6,000 entrants from 320 dealerships,” commented David Boyle, president and chief operating officer of Mobile Productivity.

“We are thrilled by the response to REV it UP. It seems to fill a real need, and we look forward to making it an annual event,” Boyle continued. “This race really achieved its purpose of exciting and engaging Fixed Operations to raise their game.”