Wes Hartz Named 1 of 11 John Deere Tech of the Year Winners

This October, Wes Hartz, a 19-year Service Technician based out of our Lacon location, was named as 1 of only 11 Division Champions for the John Deere Technician of the Year Award. This inaugural Deere & Company award program was designed to recognize Technicians that are not just great Technicians, but who are leaders within the dealership. Those who go above and beyond provide exceptional service to customers and mentor colleagues. And those who are also leaders in their local community taking time to serve others.

Out of all the John Deere service techs in our service division which includes parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and Tennessee, Wes stood out not only because of his strong leadership and passion for great customer service but also his commitment to the community. Wes devotes his free time to serving as an Assistant Chief for the volunteer fire department in Princeville. He also coaches youth basketball, baseball, and softball.

"Wes has always had the desire to keep up with the latest equipment and technology. He's also widely known across our customer base for giving the right recommendations to avoid downtime as well as a go-to-guy for those unique situations and repairs," says Chris Rupiper, CEO of Prairie State Tractor.

"My passion for the ag industry started when I was young," says Wes. "Growing up I used to ride on farm equipment on my grandpa's farm. As I got older, I was able to help my neighbors on their family farm and work with my dad who was a Service Manager at a John Deere dealer. I used to go on Saturdays and my days off to walk around the shop and see what the techs were working on. That kind of sparked my interest and led to where I am now."

Wes is not alone in this regard. We pride ourselves on employing some of the best and brightest Service Technicians in the ag industry.

"We have many outstanding technicians. Having one of them named Division Champion will hopefully show younger people in our area that being a John Deere technician is a rewarding and serious career option for them," adds Chris, "It also shows that Prairie State Tractor is a business that encourages their employees to be the best that they can be."

Interested in joining our team of outstanding John Deere technicians? Visit our Tech Student Program page to learn more about how you can train to be a tech or explore current job openings.