Mentors behind the machines are driving the next generation of talent

Although separated by the Cook Strait, John Deere Service Technicians Marcus Vine and Liam Gee both grew up pulling things apart and putting them back together, a hands-on curiosity that set them on a path to similar careers.

John Deere Ag & Turf service technician, Marcus Vine shares his expertise in precision agriculture at the Central District Field Days.

Such has been their success that they now play an integral role mentoring those following in their footsteps. After he completed school Marcus pursued a pre-trade light automotive course and mechanical apprenticeship, before making the “best decision he’s ever made” and signing up to work at a John Deere dealership in Foxton.

Nineteen years later, he’s now working in the Brandt dealership in Feilding, where he takes pride in helping mentor apprentices to diagnose and repair faults to keep machinery up and running.

“Looking back, my career definitely worked out better for me as cars are such a throwaway industry, whereas we get to dig deeper with technology and new solutions,” Marcus said.

“I enjoy passing that knowledge on to the apprentices we have in our branch. They come out on the road with me, and we work alongside each other.

“I show them how to diagnose faults and importantly how to communicate with our customers to understand what they need, and when they need it.

“I get the biggest buzz when I see how much the apprentices are enjoying their job. It’s not just about a paycheck; it starts to become a real passion for them.”

Down on the South Island in the vineyard-rich Marlborough region, Liam Gee grew up around machinery and approached the Service Manager at his local John Deere dealership about the chance to undertake work experience after he finished school.

This developed into an apprenticeship and seven years later, Liam is now sharing his expertise with the apprentices at the Drummond & Etheridge John Deere dealership in Blenheim.

“We usually have three apprentices staggered along years of experience and I am always helping them, whether that’s in a formal course training or out in the yard with the machinery,” Liam said.

“I’ve delivered half a day training to the young apprentices on Service Advisor Remote, as well as teaching them all about the John Deere technology systems, which is always fun.”

While he started out on agricultural equipment, Liam now specialises in John Deere’s range of construction and forestry machinery, which is a skill recognised by other branches across the dealership network.

“I have travelled down to Christchurch to meet with a colleague from Invercargill when they were taking pre-delivery of a new 959ML Shovel Logger,” Liam said.

“I was able to give him a rundown on the equipment, so he was familiar with it which is a great way to share knowledge and help build skills across the dealership.”

Sharing with community

Both Marcus and Liam love the customer engagement that comes with their roles and have enjoyed working at their local field days.

“I quite like meeting new people and explaining what we do,” Liam said.

“Most of our customers are farmers in this region and it’s great to be able to talk to people at these events and let them know that we have a range of construction equipment that they can also use on their farms, such as diggers and skid steers.”

For Marcus, representing his dealership and John Deere at the Central District Field Days was a really positive experience.

“The Field Days is a great event for farmers and contractors and we also have lots of people from the community who want to come and see the big equipment,” he said.

“I really enjoy meeting with the range of people and representing the service department and answering any questions about precision agriculture.”

No two days are the same

This time last year Marcus and Liam returned home to New Zealand after taking home trophies at the 2024 John Deere Technician of the Year Awards in Australia, a career highlight for both technicians who say the best part of their work is that no two days are the same.

“There is so much variety of work and range of equipment,” Marcus said.

“I have a different outdoor office every day and travel to places off the beaten track that most of the public never get to see.

“There’s always something new to learn and a new challenge every day.”

From working in the workshop completing repairs and maintenance one day to attending an urgent breakdown in the field the next, Liam finds the challenge of getting a machine back up and running with minimal downtime especially rewarding.

“Every day is different,” Liam said.

“Just last Friday, I was helping another branch fix a machine in torrential rain all day in a location only a few people get to experience.

“Some of the sites I visit are located in amazing places. No two days are the same.”