July/August 2018

A s Aftermarket went to press for its July/August issue, the finals for Top Technician and Top Garage were just a week away. Anticipation was high as the finalists for both competitions prepared for the final on Saturday 23 June, held at Auto iQ, Northamptonshire. Nerves would also be tensed for the announcement of the winners, taking place later that evening at the Top Technician/Top Garage Gala Dinner. While Top Garage is a new competition, Top Technican has been changing lives since 2002. Here, we drop in on 2016 winner Matthew Eeles from Saffron Garage and 2017’s champion Karl Weaver from Bull Lane Garage to see what insights they have. Matthew Eeles “Top Technician is one of the greatest things I have done working in this industry,” says Matthew. “It's a way to challenge yourself to see how far you can get. You might surprise yourself when you see how far you can get, like I did. I would highly recommend it not only for your work but for yourself. It gives you a great feeling to know that all 28 AFTERMARKET JULY/AUGUST 2018 TOP TECHNICIAN – TOP GARAGE 2018 NEARING THE TOP Aftermarket asks former Top Technician winners what impact the competition had on their lives In association with: www.toptechnicianonline.co.uk Sponsored by: the time and effort you have put into what can be a hard industry has been worth it. “I can't recommend it enough. It is a great event to be part of. It is exciting doing the live stuff, then waiting for that call for the semis, that call for the final, and then being in the finals and experiencing the whole atmosphere of it all. It's also something different, rather than being in the workshop day in-day out. It's good to experience that and meet other like-minded techs, express yourself and make some good friends.” Apart from the impact on himself, Matthew has seen a real benefit to the business: “We are busier than ever since we won, and have been looking to expand the team. We are looking to find a technician at the moment actually. We have been advertising via various different methods, but obviously there is a shortage in the trade, so we are still looking.” Karl Weaver For 2017 winner Karl Weaver, it took some time for the win to sink in: ”Once I got over the initial shock and everything settled in, I had the first month or two where I didn't really Above: Mathew Eeles