WORTHINGTON - After nearly seven years, completing numerous online classes and traveling to trainings in three states, Brad von Holdt has earned his platinum certification as a Bobcat technician with Jaycox Implement in Worthington.
He said he is one of two in the nation to have earned the highest level of certification through Bobcat.
“There’s bronze, silver, gold and platinum,” said von Holdt, who began working through the four certification steps after he was hired by Jaycox in 2011. The steps included study on the full line of Bobcat equipment, starting with hydraulics and electrical and working through wheel and track machines, Telehandlers, excavators, Toolcat and utility (ATV and RTV) machines.
At Jaycox, von Holdt works on Bobcat, Kubota and Case skid loaders, smaller Kubota tractors and mini-excavators, but he has a long history in the repair business.
“My dad was a mechanic for 45 or 50 years, so I learned from him - learned by doing, I guess,” he said.
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After high school, von Holdt worked for Heath Auto Sales in Round Lake for many years before opening his own repair shop. Six years later, he joined the technician crew at Jaycox.
Darrel Ponto, Jaycox service manager, said training for technicians like von Holdt is required to maintain dealer certification. The local business has another employee who is also working through the Bobcat certification.
“Chad’s (Jaycox) big on ongoing training to keep up with the ever-changing equipment,” von Holdt said.
“We’re trying to keep up with our customers’ needs,” added Ponto.
von Holdt said the greatest struggle in the certification process was finding the time to take the online and in-person classes. He fit in online quizzes during the work day and scheduled time to go to classes when it wasn’t quite so hectic, making several trips to Moorhead, as well as Wisconsin and Iowa.
He earned his gold certification Dec. 24 and pushed to get his platinum certification just six weeks later, on Feb. 8. The final step included two, four-day trainings in a span of two weeks in Moorhead.
“It was a big achievement,” noted von Holdt, who is excited to have completed the highest level of Bobcat certification. The only other technician to have completed all four levels is from Arkansas.
“They have a Toolcat class in Moorhead, so there will probably be more platinum-certified techs through the state and nation,” von Holdt said.
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