GlasWeld, a solutions provider for the glass repair industry, says that two of its customers have taken top honors at national and international auto glass repair competitions using GlasWeld windshield repair equipment.
Randy Olson of Chip Medic in Bend, Ore., took home the gold medal at the 5th Annual Walt Gorman Memorial Windshield Repair Olympics held recently week in Las Vegas during the NACE Show at Mandalay Bay. In his first windshield repair competition ever, Olson edged out last years’ second and third place competitors to take home the top prize of $1,000, a gold medal, a trophy and bragging rights as the “World’s Best Windshield Repair Technician.”
Olson used GlasWeld’s G3 ProVac Injector and ProCur Curing Lamp to repair damaged windshields during the two-day competition. Olson is a retired Bend Fire Department captain and has been in the windshield repair business for five years.
“We knew Randy would be a contender at the competition. He takes his business very seriously and is the consummate professional,” said Lori Patch, marketing director for GlasWeld. “He was calm and collected under the pressure of the judges, spectators, and media watching his every move.”
The Windshield Repair Olympics competition is designed to find the auto glass repair technician who completes the best auto glass repair. Judging covers six major areas, including customer interaction and technician comportment, as well as safe and proper repair practices following the ROLAGS standard for windshield repair.
Jeff Olive of GlassPro in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. earned the bronze medal at the 2010 International Master Fitter Competition held during the Glasstec show in Dusseldorf, Germany in late September. Olive has over 20 years experience in the auto glass industry and was the first U.S. Master Auto Glass Technician Champion in 2006, the 2005 Gold medal winner of the Windshield Repair Olympics and the Silver medalist in 2006. In 2008, he was crowned the U.S. Champion Master Auto Glass Technician and then went on to win the International Master Fitter Competition.
The international competition includes a series of auto glass tests, replacing a door window, rear window, repairing a windshield, and replacing a windshield. Olive also uses GlasWeld’s G3 ProVac Injector and ProCur Curing Lamp when performing windshield repairs.
“We are very proud of Jeff in representing the United States in this international venue for auto glass repair. He continues to shine at these competitions and represents the best in the glass repair industry,” said Dennis Garbutt, general manager of GlasWeld. “We wish him continued success at GlassPro and look forward to seeing him make a top finish again.”
GlasWeld was the platinum sponsor of the Windshield Repair Olympics for the fifth consecutive year.
“Our mission is to raise the bar of professionalism among windshield repair technicians and to increase awareness of windshield repair as an option. It should be a consumer’s first choice to repair a windshield rather than replace it. Repair is environmentally responsible, economical, and retains the original factory bond of the windshield,” said Patch. “Each year, 11 million non-recyclable windshields go into our landfills. We hope to make a dent in that number.”
More information:
GlasWeld
