Technicians in the running for national honours

TWO technicians working at the Brandt Ballarat dealership have been nominated as finalists in the national John Deere 2025 Technician of the Year Awards.

Michael Moriconi has been listed in the Agriculture and Turf Service Technician of the Year category and Tanisha Sevenich in the Parts Technician of the Year category.

Twenty-five finalists from around Australia have been nominated for the fifth annual awards.

They will travel to Brisbane in mid-September to undergo a final round of intense technical testing and will be judged individually on their ability to perform hands-on diagnostics and troubleshoot real-life scenarios and customer challenges.

Winners will be announced on Thursday 18 September.

John Deere Australia and New Zealand managing director Luke Chandler acknowledged the impact all the finalists have made not only in their dealerships but also across their communities and the wider industries they support.

“Being a technician today is all about supporting customers and the industries that keep regional Australia strong,” Mr Chandler said.

“They play a crucial role that calls for digital expertise, critical thinking, and the ability to solve complex problems – all of which keeps our customers up and running, boosting their productivity and supporting more sustainable business practices.”

Mr Moriconi’s love of John Deere machinery began when he was just six years old, when his father bought his first tractor for the family’s North Queensland mango farm.

He did a trade apprenticeship as a diesel fitter and had a short stint working on John Deere equipment, but it was a chance encounter in a Ballarat cafe that changed his destiny.

Seeing men wearing John Deere and Brandt co-branded shirts, he approached them and by the end of the week had attended an interview.

When he arrived home, a job offer was in his inbox. So he packed up, came south and has now been working at the Brandt Ballarat dealership for more than a year.

Mr Moriconi has a particular focus on supporting customers. He said whether it is a farmer who needs to get back into the paddock before rain hits or a family trying to mow their lawn before the weekend, he takes satisfaction from knowing that he can “show up and get things moving again”.

His attitude is appreciated by local lot feeder Garvan Park, which relies on him to have its harvest equipment staying operational in peak times.

Manager Lewis Redpath said Mr Moriconi “goes over and above,” following up on requests or queries with a smile and communicating well.

Ms Sevenich, meanwhile, worked as a beauty therapist and a traffic controller before applying for a role as a parts technician.

Agricultural machinery was a completely new industry and a massive step out of her comfort zone, but she hasn’t looked back since joining the dealership about three years ago.

She said the ability to see the direct impact of her work is “incredibly rewarding” and describes people in the industry as very down-to-earth, supportive and passionate.

Brandt customer Jeremy Barr, of Burnside Ag, described Ms Sevenich’s dedication, commitment and loyalty to the job as “outstanding.”