Calgary, Alberta — David Chester, technician and manager of a Speedy Glass service centre in Calgary, Alberta has become the first Canadian to win the Best of Belron Competition for auto glass repair and replacement.
The competition, which took place in Lisbon, Portugal from June 12 to 13, saw glass technicians from 30 countries competing in a variety of auto glass tasks.
Chester claimed the title of Best of Belron after excelling in windshield repair, windshield replacement, side-glass replacement and advanced driver safety assistance (ADAS) camera recalibration procedures.
The competition, founded in 2002 is held every two years. To qualify for the global event, technicians must first qualify at a national level.
Chester, who has been working as an auto glass technician for over 20 years, according to a recent news release, performed at the Alberta provincial final in the fall of 2023 and then at the national final event before being selected as Canada’s representative for the 2024 global event.
During the competition, each of the four tasks performed by technicians was scored against a grid, including up to 95 steps, alongside measuring several key criteria, including work quality, customer service experience, respect to health and safety protocols and execution speed.
“Winning this title is the result of years of dedication and passion and would never have been possible without the incredible support from my colleagues and peers. It’s an honour to bring this recognition home and to inspire others in our extraordinary community to strive for excellence in their respective field or area of interest. Anything is possible when you set your eyes on a goal and work hard towards it, surrounded by the right people,” Chester concluded in a news release.
