Subaru Of America Announces Seth DeGraff Of Glenville, NY As Winner Of 2016 National Technician Competition

The individual event was composed of five events, one hour each, scored on accuracy, speed and service quality, including a written test on technical knowledge, on-car drivability, diagnostic and engine-only diagnostic events, alongside a bench electrical circuit event. This year, thirteen contestants from across the country participated in the competition held at Subaru of America's U.S. headquarters in Cherry Hill, NJ.

This year's winner is Seth DeGraff, a Senior Master Technician at Capitaland Subaru in Glenville, NY, who has made a career out of his passion for working on vehicles and tinkering with anything that has an engine. As both a Zone Champion (Subaru Distributors Corporation) and overall winner, DeGraff receives a prize of $2,500, a crystal trophy and will travel to Japan next Fall to compete in the Subaru World Technical Competition. 

From the remaining Zone Champions, second place honors went to Will Wright of Hyman Brothers Subaru in Midlothian, VA ($1,500 total prize) while Alan Wolfe of Diablo Subaru of Walnut Creek, CA was awarded third place ($1,000 total prize). The full list of Zone Champions and runners up is below (in alphabetical order).

• John Campbell – Baierl Subaru, Pittsburgh, PA
• Zachary Gibbons – Dick Hannah Subaru, Vancouver, WA
• Gustave Hoelscher – Austin Subaru, Austin, TX
• John Knapp – Lee's Summit Subaru, Lee's Summit, MO
• Kevin Lopez – Subaru Santa Monica, Santa Monica, CA
• David MacDonald – Subaru of Orange Park, Jacksonville, FL
• Keith Mack – Flatirons Subaru, Boulder, CO
• Christian Rawski – Hawk Subaru, Joliet, IL
• Jonathan Scott – Subaru of Grand Blanc, Grand Blanc, MI
• Benjamin Spidle – Johnson Subaru of Cary, Cary, NC

"Customer service remains a core pillar of the Subaru experience, and that includes holding our technicians to the highest standards to ensure our vehicles are returned to their owners after a service in the best possible shape to take them on their next adventures," said Thomas J. Doll, president and COO, Subaru of America. "All of our participants this year represent the very best of our technicians throughout the nation, and we excited to see how Seth fares in the international final in Japan."

Subaru of America also hosted a new event, called "The Pit Crew Challenge," for its own employees, placing regional and department teams up against technicians to find out who really has the best quick-service skills in the company.

About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts, and accessories through a network of more than 620 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants, and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information, visit media.subaru.com.

Diane Anton   
Subaru of America, Inc. 
856-488-5093   
[email protected] 

Michael McHale   
Subaru of America, Inc.   
856-488-3326   
[email protected]     

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160924/411475

SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc.

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