Twelve high-school and post-secondary school students took home top honors in the Collision Repair Technology and Automotive Refinish Technology contests at the 2014 SkillsUSA competition, sponsored in part by 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division.
For nearly 20 years, the 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division has been helping collision repair students competing at the SkillsUSA National Championships prepare for careers in the collision repair field. This year, 3M automotive experts provided the training, staffing and judging for the automotive refinishing and collision repair technology competitions, along with an array of innovative product solutions and tools for the students.
“These competitors are the best in the industry, and represent the future of the collision repair industry,” said Mark Algie, Business Development Manager for 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division. “Their automotive repair skills, professionalism and commitment to learning will make them leaders in the collision repair business for years to come. It’s an honor to be a part of the SkillsUSA competition and work with such talented, passionate young people.”
In the Collision Repair Technology high school category, the honors went to:
Gold -- Dustin Benner, Vanguard-Sentinel CTC-Sentinel Campus, Tiffin, OH
Silver -- Cory Petit, Washburn Tech, Topeka, KS
Bronze -- Joseph Epperson, Pittsylvania Career & Technology Center, Chatham, VA
In the Collision Repair Technology post-secondary category, medal recipients were:
Gold -- Gavin Johnson, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT
Silver -- Tyler Cauble, Hutchinson Career & Technical Academy, Hutchinson, KS
Bronze -- Elise Groenewold, Dakota County Tech College, Rosemount, MN
In the Automotive Refinish Technology high school competition, the honors went to:
Gold -- Lane Metheny, Polytech High School, Woodside, DE
Silver -- Joseph Wyngowski, Pathfinder Vo Tech, Palmer, MA
Bronze -- Tristan Hughes, Washburn Tech, Topeka, KS
In the Automotive Refinishing Technology post-secondary category, the winners were:
Gold -- Jose Martinez-Joya, Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, IL
Silver -- Zach Mullen, Southwestern Community College, Creston, IA
Bronze -- Doug Clemens, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT
The 3M corporate team also hosted a company booth at the SkillsUSA trade show.
The SkillsUSA Championships were held on Wednesday, June 25, and Thursday, June 26, in H. Roe Bartle Hall and Municipal Auditorium of the Kansas City Convention Center. More than 6,000 outstanding career and technical education students - all state contest winners - competed hands-on in 99 different trade, technical and leadership fields. Winners received scholarships, tool grants and other prizes for gold, silver and bronze place finishes.
For more information about the 3M product solutions and tools used at SkillsUSA, call 1.877.MMM.CARS, contact your 3M Distributor or 3M Sales Representative, or visit the website at www.3MCollision.com.
About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $31 billion in sales, 3M employs 89,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.
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