Austrian Team Impact stood as winners after the finals of VISTA
2009 on June 11th. Out of 3 455 teams from 70 countries 28 remained
in the finals that took place in Volvo Trucks Training Centre in
Göteborg, Sweden. In a tough field the Austrians impressed with
both their practical and theoretical skills and claimed the title
as winners of VISTA 2009.
Months of preparation and weeks of waiting were finally over
when 28 teams from 26 countries met up in the final of the worlds
biggest competition for workshop personnel. A true trial of
strength took place during the day, and in the end Austria stood as
winners.
"It feels completely amazing to win this prestigious event, and
when Staffan Jufors, the CEO of Volvo Trucks called out our names
as winner we thought it surely must have been a mistake", says
Austrian team captain, Michael Marck.
VISTA 2009 started in September 2008 with the first of three
theoretical rounds of competition, where over 13 500 competitors in
3 455 teams from 70 countries competed in theoretical problem
solving. After two more rounds and eleven semifinals 28 teams went
for the title in the world final in Göteborg.
"The finalists all belong to the best workshop personnel in the
world and it really showed in the final. And I think everyone who
was there could feel the concentration and the excitement in the
air today", says Johanna Lundberg, executive project manager for
VISTA.
Staffan Jufors, president and CEO of Volvo Trucks handed out the
trophy to the winning team, and was impressed by this years
starting field.
"When I visited the competition today I was amazed by the
enthusiasm, the totally focused dedication and the teamwork. All 28
teams here today are worthy winners of the VISTA championship
2009," he says.
"VISTA isn't just a competition and an education for our
workshop personnel. It is also a great way to develop competence
within Volvo Trucks. The competition corresponds to hundreds of
thousands of hours of training and can hopefully inspire the entire
service organisation in the search of excellence."
The proud winners of Team Impact had no doubts about the
decisive factor that put them over the top to win VISTA 2009.
"We have been working hard for this, and prepared all the way up
until the finals. We also learned a lot during the competition and
we look forward to defending the title here in Gothenburg again in
2011."
