Lisbon, Portugal — May 19, 2016 — Canadian mobile glass technician Ryan Cox won second place at the Best of Belron global event in Portugal, right behind American contestant Gary Riebesehl from Safelite. The ninth edition of the windshield repair and replacement competition gathered 27 national-level winning technicians, along with 1,500 colleagues, suppliers and partners from across the globe.
“This competition was an experience of a lifetime. I’m really proud of my performance and I would like to thank everyone back in Canada. Your well wishes made the difference and gave me confidence. I have made friendships that will last a lifetime,” said Cox. He is currently employed as technician at the Speedy Glass Kingsway service centre.
For the competition, Cox had to repair and replace a windshield, recalibrate the camera of the Advanced Driver Assistance System, replace a side glass, remove and refit a rear window, and show his skills at communicating with customers before and after a job. Each technician was also asked to complete a detailed questionnaire covering every aspect of their job, from health and safety to customer care.
“We are so proud of Ryan. He is extremely skilled, talented and driven. The criteria for measuring performance was extremely thorough, covering health and safety, working methods, care for the car, customer care, as well as final quality and speed of completing the job. Winning second place is a superb achievement,” said Roy Tarcea, Technical Trainer for Belron Canada.
At the last edition in 2014, Vancouverite glass technician contestant Matt MacDonald finished second. He later visited many service centres across the country to share his knowledge and encourage technicians to take part in the competition. When he transitioned to a management position, Ryan Cox was his first employee.
“I pushed him to sign up and helped him train because the process was eye-opening for me and I knew Ryan had everything to be a great contestant. He is calm, confident, very intelligent, and he’s competitive in an understated way. I am so proud of him,” said MacDonald, now manager of Lakewood Speedy Glass.
