Chris Taylor, a fleet technician at Polk County in Florida, is the first-ever winner of the Best Young Tech Award, presented by Motor Age and PTEN. The award was designed to honor the best and brightest in the industry under the age of 35 who are making a significant impact at their organizations.
“Chris is everything you look for in a technician and then some,” says Robert Biller, fleet management director at Polk County. “His ability to relate to the younger technicians and demonstrate the proper way to use the diagnostic equipment is priceless. He sets the standard for documenting his work by putting clear and meaningful comments on every vehicle's work order. His work ethic is far above what we normally find on the shop floor — he seeks out new work when parts delays prevent the completion of a job and he routinely asks for the more challenging work orders or ones that other technicians have given up on.”
Taylor accepted the award on Tuesday at the AAPEX Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. He received a free round-trip flight to the show as part of his winning prize pack, along with two nights’ accommodations. He also won a trip for two to the STX Supplier and Training Expo in March, $5,000 in Milwaukee tools, and an Autel MaxiSYS MS906TS scan tool.
“When I found out I won, it was shocking. It was like, ‘Me?’ I’ve never really had anything like that happen to me so it was amazing,” Taylor said. “It means a lot to me. It’s like a second wind… It ignited something. You feel good and it gives you more energy.”
This year’s awards were sponsored by Milwaukee with additional support from Carquest Technical Institute + Worldpac Training Institute and the TechForce Foundation.
"As the fastest growing company in the industry, Milwaukee Tool has made empowering the next generation of pros a crucial focus," said Eric Rusch, group product manager at Milwaukee Tool. "The future of the trades is in the hands of our nation’s youth and we are proud to partner with the Best Young Tech Award program to help support the technicians of tomorrow."
Read the full-length article and watch an exclusive video all about Taylor and why he is the deserving winner of the Best Young Tech Award.
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