AGCO Technician Wins Top North American Honor!
AGCO has named Kyle Hildebrand, a service technician from Ag West Ltd. in Manitoba, Canada, as its 2025 North American Technician of the Year. The award recognizes technicians who demonstrate outstanding technical knowledge, strong problem-solving abilities, leadership, and a commitment to helping farmers keep their equipment running efficiently.
The annual Technician of the Year program is designed to honor skilled professionals working within AGCO’s dealer network across North America. Now in its fourth year, the competition highlights the importance of trained technicians in supporting modern agricultural operations and maintaining equipment performance for farmers.
To earn the title, Hildebrand competed against five other finalists from dealerships in the United States and Canada. The three-day event featured hands-on challenges that tested participants in several areas, including diagnostics, technical expertise, customer service, product knowledge, and critical thinking.
Competitors completed six real-world scenarios designed to reflect situations technicians face in the field.
"Our technicians are the backbone of our dealer network and serve as the critical link in keeping farmers' equipment up and running during vital field operations," said Ash Alt, Manager, Aftersales Technical Training at AGCO. "Kyle exemplifies the very best of AGCO service and truly delivers on our Farmer-First strategy, combining deep technical skill with a true commitment to our farmers' success. We are proud to honor him with this well-deserved award."
This year's competition focused on the Fendt Rogator sprayer, one of AGCO’s advanced agricultural machines. Participants were evaluated on their ability to identify issues, solve problems, and support customers effectively. Hildebrand’s performance earned him the championship title along with a $5,000 grand prize.
"Receiving this award is a huge honor, because this competition was definitely not easy," said Hildebrand. "Working on Rogators and other AGCO equipment and helping local growers get through critical seeding, spraying and harvest seasons every year is what I love to do. I'm grateful to my team at Ag West Ltd. for supporting my training and development."
According to AGCO, skilled technicians play a vital role in helping farmers reduce downtime during important planting, spraying, and harvest seasons. Company leaders said the competition helps recognize individuals who combine strong technical abilities with dedication to customer success.
Runner-up honors were awarded to Justin Bohl of Nebraska, Eldon Kalinocha of Saskatchewan, Malcolm Klassen of Manitoba, Josh Kirsch of Indiana, and AJ Odquist of Indiana.
AGCO continues to support technician development through several education and training initiatives, including the Technician of the Year competition, the AGCO NexTECH vocational college program, and the AGCO Service Technician associate degree program at Parkland College in Illinois. These efforts help prepare future professionals for careers in agricultural equipment service and technology.
Photo Credit: AGCO