Feature sponsored by Belron Group
Ryan Cox won the Canadian competition at the Montreal Science Centre last January, the National Final of the Best of Belron, a one-of-a-kind competition featuring Speedy Glass and Lebeau automotive technicians from the Belron group. Nearly 200 automotive industry representatives, suppliers and partners were in attendance to witness the skills and expertise in windshield repair and replacement of the seven Canadian finalist glass technicians. Ryan Cox, a technician at the Speedy Glass Service Centre in Vancouver was declared the winner. He will represent Canada in the international final on May 18 and 19, 2016 at the MEO Arena in Lisbon Portugal, an event that brings together finalists from 29 countries.
The “Best Of Belron” contest, held every two years, was created in 2000 to allow Belron technicians from around the world to measure themselves against their peers, starting with regional representatives in each country, then nominating the national champion in a head-to-head competition. The 29 national winners go on to the international competition, which will be held this coming May in Lisbon, Portugal to determine the international winner for 2016.
Belron Group is the largest windshield repair and replacement service provider in the world, with over 26,000 people working in 34 countries. Belron Canada’s 1,800 employees work at 350 service centres across Canada, under the Speedy Glass and Lebeau Vitres d’auto banners.
The Best of Belron events are more than a validation of the skills, training and work processes of our technicians. It also acts as a motivator to every technician to continually improve, learn from their peers and strive to reach a higher level of excellence. As a team in each service centre, technicians make every effort to deliver the highest quality service possible, in a timely and effective fashion, while always aiming at customer safety and complete satisfaction.
The Best of Belron competition starts with a nomination and local evaluation program to identify the participants to each national competition. The 2016 Canadian final took place this January 15 in Montreal. The seven regional winners first responded to an exhaustive written test. They then went on to hands-on work as they repaired a damaged windshield and also replaced one, to validate their technical and procedural knowledge.
Each participant was observed and rated by a committee of judges on all aspects of the 73-step process to repair and 94-step process to replace a windshield. The judges then analyzed the ratings from the tests and the exercises to arrive at a ranking and determine the 2016 winner for Canada.
Overall winner Ryan Cox works in a Vancouver Speedy Glass Service Centre. Ryan was thrilled by the victory: “I entered the competition to increase my knowledge and skill level, and that is exactly what happened. The other guys were all very, very good, and I am sure that the judges had a tough time rating us. But hey, they get the big bucks… I’ll be a little more confident now for the international contest in Lisbon. That confidence and a little luck should serve me well.”
“Within Belron, the global group that owns Speedy Glass, the training of our technicians is a priority,” explained Ralph Hosker, President of Belron Canada. “If we invest in the development of our employees, it’s because our customers deserve the best service, with the utmost precision and impeccable quality, because their safety is our top priority. It’s also because we believe in our employees and hope they can develop the best of their abilities and achieve excellence.”
Since its creation, this competition has inspired and motivated technicians to achieve the highest levels of excellence. It clearly illustrates what a technician’s job with Speedy Glass or Lebeau represents: ensuring quality work, with quick and accurate execution focused on safety and customer satisfaction.
