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.”
June 12th, 2009
Final results VISTA 2009
1. Team Impact, Austria, 42 points
Josef Mikula, Manfred Eibel, Ivica Milic, Rudolf Aistleitner.
Volvo VISTA Winners 2009 – Team Impact are congratulated by Staffan Jufors, CEO Volvo Trucks, Ann Hesselbom, Senior Vice President Human Resources and Johanna Lundberg, overall project manager for VISTA. The winners: Rudolf Aistleitner, Ivica Milic, Josef Mikula, Manfred Eibel.
2. Team Taastrup 1, Denmark, 41 points
Jan Meyer Petersen, Per Lindal, Ulrik Eriksen, Lars Rosenkilde.
Runners-up Team Taastrup 1 along with Staffan Jufors, CEO Volvo Trucks, Ann Hesselbom, Senior Vice President Human Resources and Johanna Lundberg, overall project manager for VISTA. Team members: Jan Meyer Petersen, Per Lindal, Ulrik Eriksen och Lars Rosenkilde.
3. Team Båshumlorna, Sweden, 38 points
Patrik Hejderup, Mattias Sanden, Robin Bergström, Sven-Ingvar Lind.
Third place finishers Team Båshumlorna. On stage with Staffan Jufors, CEO Volvo Trucks and Ann Hesselbom, Senior Vice President Human Resources. Team members: Patrik Hejderup, Mattias Sanden, Robin Bergström och Sven-Ingvar Lind.
| Place | Team name | Country |
| 1 | Team Impact | Austria |
| 2 | Taastrup 1 | Denmark |
| 3 | Team Båshumlorna | Sweden |
| 4 | Valhalla | Denmark |
| 5 | Derma X-power | Belgium |
| 6 | Skrzypa 3 | Poland |
| 7 | Trencaclosques | Spain |
| 8 | Greencity | Russia |
| 9 | Bluekens Breda 1 | Netherlands |
| 10 | Wetteri Power Oy | Finland |
| 11 | Return of the MMAK | UK |
| 12 | FST-Fanatic | Switzerland |
| 13 | Team Vogtland | Germany |
| 14 | Lt United | Lithuania |
| 15 | Team #3 Chullora | Australia |
| 16 | Equipe de Martin | France |
| 17 | Carrot Crunchers | UK |
| 18 | Metanoia | Argentina |
| 19 | VIP 1 Modena | Italy |
| 20 | Ebenezer | Brazil |
| 21 | Truck Point 1 | Czech Republic |
| 22 | Concord | Ukraine |
| 23 | Mayer Ashdod | Israel |
| 24 | Eka Dharma 25 | Indonesia |
| 25 | The Big Diffs | New Zeeland |
| 26 | Globetrotter | UAE |
| 27 | The One | Korea |
| 28 | FH 16 | South Africa |
Facts about VISTA
Volvo organised its very first competition for mechanics in 1957. In 1977 the competition was renamed VISTA and it has since then grown every year, from a purely Swedish to a truly global event. Volvo Trucks/Volvo Buses and Volvo Cars arrange VISTA every alternate year.
The competition is open to all categories of personnel at the companies’ workshops. Knowledge being tested is not limited to purely technical questions but includes commercial issues such as warranties, spare parts and administration. Cooperation and team spirit are essential for success in VISTA.
Autumn 2008 saw VISTA 2009 get under way with three local theory qualifiers. At the very outset, 13,500 people took part in about 3,500 teams, each with three or four members.
The regional semi-finals dealt with both theory and practice and they were held at seven locations on five continents, putting 150 teams from 70 countries against each other. In the final the field was narrowed down to 28 teams from 26 countries, represented by about 110 competitors.
The world finals took the form of a full-day competition that included demanding practical and theoretical tests. The event was ill be held in Göteborg, Sweden, on June 11.
For further information please contact:
Jenny Björsne, Volvo Truck, tel +46 31 664523, mail: jenny.bjorsne@volvo.com
