Started in 2007, and held every two years, the Best of Australia competition is an esteemed event that pits the top O’Brien® Automotive Technicians from around Australia against each other in a series of challenges designed to test their skills and expertise. On March 14th, O’Brien® staff from across three divisions, key customers and suppliers came together to witness the competition final and see the 7 skilled technicians battle it out for the title of Best of Australia.

We’d like to congratulate the following discipline-specific award winners:

• Jack Karssemeyer of O’Brien® AutoGlass Moorebank NSW – Best Side and Body Glass
• Nat Rouessart of O’Brien® AutoGlass Tuggerah NSW – Best Recalibration
• Jack Collins of O’Brien® AutoGlass North Parramatta NSW – Best Chip Repair

Of course, in the end, there could only be one overall winner, so we’d like to extend a huge congratulations to:

Jack Karssemeyer – the O’Brien® Best of Australia 2024 Winner.

After being awarded the title at the gala event held on the same night, we were lucky to have a chat with Jack to get an insight into his journey to the podium and what the title of ‘Best of Australia’ means to him.

Here’s what he had to say.

Introducing Jack K. – the O’Brien® Best of Australia 2024 Winner.

Jack, joined O’Brien® as an 18-year-old straight out of high school, going from trainee Technician to the Level 5 Technician he is today, in just over 4 years. He perfectly embodies the O‘Brien® commitment to excellence and has had his eyes set on being part of the Best of Australia competition for some time.

It’s no surprise that when his skills and achievements were recognised; he was in awe when his name was announced as the winner:

“It was surreal. I was so nervous standing up there and when my name got called, it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off me… it meant everything. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and something I’ve always had my focus on.”

As a Sydney local, this was Jack’s first time competing in the Best of Australia (BOA). As he describes, his success is a testament to his manager, John Paton, and his technical trainer mentor, Mark Cameron.

“I’d like to shout out my manager, John, my mentor Mark, and the whole technical training team for the amazing job they did to help me prepare for the event. They helped me in so many ways – I hope they’re proud of what we achieved together.”

Celebrating A Century of Service

Jack’s achievement comes at an exciting time for the team at O’Brien® as the company celebrates 100 years of service in Australia. The Best of Australia 2024 was combined with a 100-year celebration event held after the competition wrapped up, where the winner was announced in front of over 300 people.

“Having BOA and the big 100-year celebration was really special – to be a part of such a milestone for the whole company was amazing and it really encouraged the best out of all the competitors as well. There was an amazing buzz out on the competition floor!”

True to the O’Brien® way, Jack admits that he made lifelong friends with his fellow BOA competitors and describes this comradery as one of the highlights of his experience:

“I love O’Brien® as a company. There are so many different branches of progression you can go through. It is like a giant family and the night showed that. People from all aspects of the company came together to support one another and although we were competitors, each of us shared ideas and insights throughout the process and had a great time – I’ve made some friends for life.”

Looking forward: The Best of Belron competition

The Best of Belron is a biennial global event held across the Belron Group. This competition recognises the best Belron technicians from 39 countries worldwide who specialise in using Belron’s standard repair and replacement processes, known as the Belron Way of Fitting. The finalist for each country’s national event is invited to compete on the world stage, which means Jack will now head to Lisbon, Portugal to compete against the best in Belron this June.

“In three months’ time, I’ll be heading over to Lisbon to compete in the Best of Belron competition. It really is an honour to be going over there to compete on behalf of O’Brien®, and to test myself against the other competitors and to show what I’m made of. I’m so excited!”

The road to Lisbon looks much the same as the lead-up to the BOA competition with ongoing training and practice alongside the Technical Training team and no doubt plenty of advice from our Australian BOA Judges and fellow competitors.

We wish Jack the best of luck before he flies off to compete in three months and no doubt plenty of advice from the alumni of Best of Australia winners who’ve represented O’Brien on the world stage. We’ll be keeping across how Jack’s preparation is going, so stay tuned for more updates on Jack’s journey to Lisbon.

Want to join the fun and be part of one of Australia’s most iconic companies?

Do you think you’d love a career at O’Brien®? We’d love to have you!

O'Brien® is always on the hunt for talented people who are looking to start a promising career with us.

Head on over to O’Brien® Careers and find the perfect role for you.

Of course, for all your AutoGlass needs, call 1800 059 829 and speak to the experts in our Customer Solutions Centre today!

The post Congrats Jack Karssemeyer, Winner of O’Brien® Best of Australia 2024 appeared first on O'Brien.

It’s a high standard that we uphold in every aspect of our service. To achieve this, we focus on:

• innovative technology,
• tried and tested processes,
• continuous training for our Automotive Technicians and
• dedication to providing the highest level of care to our customers.

So, as we do every two years, we’re once again putting a spotlight on the signature O’Brien® excellence by bringing together our top Automotive Technicians from all over Australia.

The final of the Best of Australia 2024 is nearly here!

Here’s everything you need to know before the adrenaline-fueled showdown that’s being held on 14th March.

What is the Best of Australia competition?

Started in 2007, the Best of Australia competition is an esteemed event held every two years that pits the top O’Brien® Automotive Technicians against each other in a series of challenges designed to test their skills and expertise.

The winner of Best of Australia, then goes on to compete on the world stage against the best Technicians from other countries across the Belron Group (read on for more detail on this exciting event).

This year, there are seven Technicians who each won their state competitions in 2023 and secured a spot to represent their region at the upcoming final event. We’re bringing together these winners for the ultimate test on 14th March at Doltone House, Darling Island, Sydney.

Meet our Best of Australia 2024 finalists

This year’s finalists are proud to represent their regions for the Best of Australia 2024.

Our seven finalists are:

Bengt Stayte of O’Brien® AutoGlass Townsville QLD
Marco Pieri of O’Brien® AutoGlass Morley VIC
Sam Mullan of O’Brien® AutoGlass Launceston TAS
Nat Rouessart of O’Brien® AutoGlass Tuggerah NSW
Jack Karssemeyer of O’Brien® AutoGlass Moorebank NSW
Jack Collins of O’Brien® AutoGlass North Parramatta NSW
Jeremy Marshall of O’Brien® AutoGlass Coffs Harbour NSW

The winner of the Best of Australia Competition will then go on to represent O’Brien® at the coveted Best of Belron Competition in Lisbon, Portugal this June.

We spoke to one of the national finalists, Jack Karssemeyer, from the O’Brien® AutoGlass Service Centre in Moorebank, Sydney, about the upcoming contest.

“Since I started working as a trainee technician with O ’Brien®, the Best of Australia has always been a dream to aspire to being part of. It’s a unique experience to be able to compete in your field of expertise against other technicians for such an honoured title and get the chance to represent O’Brien on the world stage as well!”

“We’ve spent a bit of time together in Brisbane, with each of use working and training closely with our mentors from the Technical Training team. Our goal is to master the Belron Way of Fitting enough that we don’t even have to think about the next step – it’s second nature to all of us now.”

Jack K. competing in the regional competition doing a Chip Repair

About the Best of Belron competition

The Best of Belron is a biennial global event held across the Belron Group, who is the largest automotive glass company in the world, with brands across every continent worldwide, including O’Brien® here in Australia. This competition recognises the best technicians worldwide who specialise in using Belron’s standard repair and replacement processes, known as the Belron Way of Fitting.

The Belron Way of Fitting captures the expertise and know-how of automotive glass around the world and defines a best-practice approach to repairing and replacing vehicle glass.

This signature process maximises safety, endorses technical quality to the highest standard and places a focus on continuous improvement of the service we offer our customers at O’Brien® AutoGlass.

The finalist for each country is decided through a national competition held by each member of the Belron Group (for O’Brien®, this is our annual Best of Australia event), with the winners going on to compete in the international round against 30 other countries.

Find out what it’s like going to Best of Belron here from the winner of BOA 2022, Phil Cole, who went to Barcelona, Spain.

Gearing up for the finals

The seven competitors, with the support of their mentors from the O’Brien® Technical Excellence and Training team, have now completed their final training phase of their preparation for the upcoming event.

“The finalists have poured their hearts into their work, and we are absolutely thrilled to see them bring their A-game to the competition floor.” – Mohamad El-Chami, Technical Training Manager

Sean Brookes, Head of Technical Training and Excellence added, “I am immensely proud of the exceptional work accomplished by our competitors and technical trainers the Best of Australia 2024 competition. It’s the pinnacle of the technical calendar across Belron, and witnessing the dedication and excellence displayed by all involved at O’Brien fills me with immense pride and gratitude.”

Beyond the competition, the O’Brien® Best of Australia event highlights our company’s commitment to ongoing training and expertise throughout our organisation.

We understand that our success is only due to the success and dedication of our expert technicians and staff, and this ongoing commitment is a testament to the quality of service that O’Brien® provides to its customers right across Australia.

The Technical Trainer team, cheering on the competitors at the final regional event in 2023.

Support your local O’Brien® techs!

If any of these phenomenal O’Brien® AutoGlass Technicians are from your local service centre, be sure to wish them luck before they head off to Sydney to compete for the O’Brien® Best of Australia crown!

We wish all our finalists the very best of luck for the upcoming competition, and we look forward to announcing the Best of Australia winner soon!

Want to join the fun and be part of one of Australia’s most iconic brands?

Fancy competing in BOA in the future? If you think you would, why not consider a career at O’Brien®? We’d love to hear from you!

O'Brien® is always on the hunt for talented people who are looking to start a career with us. Head on over to O’Brien® Careers and find the perfect role for you.

Of course, for all your vehicle glass repair and replacement needs, call 1800 059 829 and speak to one of our expert team at O’Brien® today!

The post Gearing Up for O’Brien® Best of Australia 2024 appeared first on O'Brien.

After the event was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, we finally got the chance to see our six expert O'Brien^® vehicle glass technicians from around the country go head-to-head to decide who would claim the title of Best in Australia.

And what an event it was!

Held virtually for the first time this year, the competition took place over two days, with the winner seizing the chance to represent Australia at the Best of Belron event in Barcelona, Spain in June.
Now, we’re proud to announce that the winner of the O'Brien^® Best of Australia competition for 2020 is…

Phil Cole from O'Brien^® AutoGlass Osborne Park, WA!

Congratulations, Phil!

This is Phil’s second time competing for the Best of Australia title, having represented his region in Sydney in 2018. This time around, he’s come away with the top prize, and we couldn’t be happier for him.

We spoke with Phil after the event to find out more about his story and what this win means for him.

Phil’s story

Phil began his career as an Auto Technician with the Belron Group in the UK, when he was just a teenager. He’s now notched up more than 31 years in the industry and still loves his work as much as the day he started.

“The thing I love most about my job,” Phil told us, “is the diversity and the opportunity to work on so many new, different and challenging vehicles. I also love being able to provide great service to my customers each and every day.”

What does being the Best of Australia mean for Phil?

“This is something I’ve been wanting for a long time,” Phil tells us.

“It’s my life. I’ve been doing this for the last 30 odd years, since I was 17, and I’ve been with the Belron Group all that time, so this reinforces my dedication to the tasks I do everyday and to my customers that I help.”

For Phil, winning this competition is like a pat on the back for all the years that he has spent perfecting his craft as an Auto Technician. “I didn’t compete for any other reason other than to prove to myself that I’m good at what I do. I enjoy pushing myself and testing my skills.”

It’s also reaffirming for Phil to know that his customers – his main priority – are getting the quality of service that he works so hard to provide for them. While he doesn’t intend on telling too many of them about his crowning achievement, he’s hoping that this will provide added reassurance for those that do know about it.

How was this year’s competition compared to 2018?

This time around, the event was held virtually, with each finalist completing their tasks from their own O'Brien^® AutoGlass workshop, with a judge in each region, and a second remote judge on camera to oversee and ensure continuity across the board.

While Phil loved competing, he said that the one thing he missed most this year was the crowds and the atmosphere of Sydney.

“In saying that, I liked the way that the competition was put together given the circumstances this year,” Phil said.

The remote judging and the camera technology used, especially the RealWear Headsets, was a new experience for everyone involved, but this allowed the competition to go ahead and even be live-streamed for O'Brien^® employees all over the country to enjoy.

“While the camera may have added a little more pressure, it kept me on my toes and made me more determined to do the best I could the entire time.”

Next stop, Spain

Now that Phil has been crowned the Best of Australia for 2020, he will go onto Barcelona, Spain in June to compete against 30 of the best Auto Technicians in the Belron Group to decide which of them is the Best of Belron.

Naturally, he’s a little nervous, but he’s also quite excited and looking forward to the challenge.

“One of the first things I thought when I won was, ‘What have I done?” he laughed.

Phil’s expecting the competition to be harder and more intense this time around. He also suspects Belron will throw in some curveballs too.

“I’m going to make sure I’m as prepared as I can be. I’ll take a bit of a break from training for a couple of weeks and then I’ll get back into it.”

While he works as an Auto Technician every day, Phil still needs to make sure that he’s up to speed with all 42 steps of the Belron Way of Fitting. These steps must be completed in the correct order for the competition, which he admits is probably the hardest part.

That’s why Phil’s family, which he refers to as his support network, helps him with his training and tests his knowledge regularly to keep him at his best.

He jokes, “I think my family know the Belron Way of Fitting just as well as I do now.”

We wish Phil all the best for the competition in June, and we congratulate him once again on his amazing achievement.

At O'Brien^®, we’re proud to have so many outstanding Vehicle Glass Technicians working for our company right across Australia. We continue to provide each of our technicians, and all our team members, the opportunity to improve their technical and service skills every day. We want to ensure that our staff are not only helping O'Brien^® grow, but we’re also helping them grow together with us.

It’s this attitude that differentiates O'Brien^® and helps us offer the high level of customer service and quality of work that we provide to Australians every day.

The post Announcing The Winner Of The O’Brien Best Of Australia Competition! appeared first on O'Brien.