Isuzu Celebrates Winners of 'Week of Weeks' Competition

Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. announced the winners of its 2022 National Sales Walkaround, National Service Walkaround, National Parts Salesperson Product Presentation, and North America I-1 Grand Prix Technical competitions.

The finals of all four contests took place at Isuzu’s Center of Excellence in Pittston, Pennsylvania, between Aug. 8 and 11, marking the first time the company held all four competitions at the same time. 

In addition, parts department and service department managers from dealerships in the company’s Northern Region attended a simultaneous meeting where they learned best strategies for meeting the current challenges in the medium-duty truck industry. 

The overall event was christened “Isuzu’s Week of Weeks.”

“Isuzu’s Week of Weeks is really a celebration of the best our dealerships have to offer,” said Shaun C. Skinner, president of Isuzu Commercial Truck of America and Isuzu Commercial Truck of Canada. “We are celebrating the service technicians with the best diagnostic and repair skills … the service advisors with the best customer communication skills … the parts representatives with the best Isuzu Genuine and FleetValue Parts selling skills … the sales consultants with the best ability to communicate product knowledge … and the parts and service department managers in the Northeast with the best ideas to meet current challenges.” 

Here are the results of the competition portions of Isuzu’s Week of Weeks.

2022 Isuzu National Sales Walkaround Competition

The Isuzu National Sales Walkaround Competition required contestants to present a 2022i Isuzu NRR to a fictitious “customer” who had never owned an Isuzu or a low cab forward truck. The participants had won their dealership, district, and regional contests to earn the right to compete at the National Finals.

National Champion (winner of $5,000 in cash and the Isuzu Winners’ Circle Gold trip to the Le Blanc Spa Resort Los Cabos in February 2023)

Southern Regional Champion

JOSH SAULS - TranSource Isuzu Truck, Colfax, North Carolina

Second Place ($3,000 in cash and the Isuzu Winners’ Circle Silver trip to the Westin New Orleans in March 2023)

Northern Regional Champion

BEN BALGAARD - D & K Isuzu Trucks, Lansing, Michigan

Third Place ($2,000 in cash and $1,500 in merchandise)

Central Regional Champion

JAZMINE KEITH - Boyer Isuzu Truck, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Finalists (listed alphabetically by last name, each the winner of $1,000 in cash and $1,000 in merchandise)

Western Regional Champion

VICTOR KIM - Rush Isuzu Truck, Whittier, California

Isuzu Commercial Truck of Canada Champion

ANGUS SMITH - Warner Isuzu Truck Sales, Regina, Saskatchewan

Nearly 200 Isuzu dealership sales consultants from the U.S. and Canada entered the contest, about a 27% increase over 2021.

2022 Isuzu National Service Walkaround Competition

A fictitious customer who admittedly knew little about his truck, a 2016 Isuzu N-Series Diesel, faced all four of the service advisors in the 2022 Isuzu National Service Walkaround Competition. The four Regional Champions had only 10 minutes to present the repairs that would best suit the customer’s needs.

The results:

National Champion ($5,000 in cash and Winners’ Circle trip to Los Cabos)

Central Regional Champion

COREY HECK - Truck Center Companies Isuzu, Omaha, Nebraska

Second Place ($3,000 in cash and Winners’ Circle Silver trip to New Orleans)

Northern Regional Champion

JOHN PENCE - Hare Isuzu Truck, Noblesville, Indiana

Third Place ($2,000 in cash and $1,500 in merchandise)

Western Regional Champion

AMERICA SOLARES - Rush Isuzu Truck, Fontana, California

Finalist ($1,000 in cash and $1,000 in merchandise)

Southern Regional Champion

SASKYA LOPEZ - TruckMax Isuzu, Homestead, Florida

2022 Isuzu National Parts Salesperson Product Presentation Competition

Among the features of the 30,000-square-foot Isuzu Center of Excellence training facility is a replica of a dealership parts counter. It was here that the four Regional Champions in the National Parts Salesperson Product Presentation Competition encountered their fictitious customer.

The results:

National Champion ($5,000 in cash and Winners’ Circle trip to Los Cabos)

Northern Regional Champion

JOHNNY TEATER - Hare Isuzu Truck, Noblesville, Indiana

Second Place ($3,000 in cash and Winners’ Circle Silver trip to New Orleans)

Western Regional Champion

SAL CANALES - Monarch Isuzu Truck, San Jose, California 

Third Place ($2,000 in cash and $1,500 in merchandise)

Central Regional Champion

MICHAEL BROWN - Coffman Isuzu Truck, Aurora, Illinois

Finalist ($1,000 in cash and $1,000 in merchandise)

Southern Regional Champion

NATHAN BRINKLEY - Truck Enterprises Isuzu, Chesapeake Chesapeake, Virginia

This year marked the second annual National Parts Salesperson Product Presentation Competition, making it the newest of the Isuzu skills and communication contests.

2022 Isuzu North America I-1 Grand Prix Technical Competition

The I-1 Grand Prix for service technicians required entrants to pass in a single try a challenging 75-minute entrance exam; only the 12 technicians with the highest scores were invited to enroll and participate in the competition held this week. 

After three rounds of competition diagnosing and repairing trucks, the results are:

First Place (Winners’ Circle Gold trip to Los Cabos; Isuzu Diagnostic Service System interface device with one-year IDSS subscription; invitation to participate in 2023 North America I-1 Grand Prix)

• ANTHONY PARRILLI - Chicago Isuzu Truck, Summit, Illinois

Second Place (Trip to Los Cabos; IDSS interface device with one-year subscription; invitation to participate in 2023 North America I-1 Grand Prix)

• CANDIDO DELEON - Rush Isuzu Truck Center, Dayton Dayton, Ohio

Third Place ($1,500 in merchandise and IDSS interface device with one-year subscription)

• JAMES BUECHNER - PTR Isuzu Truck, Center West Chicago, Illinois

Fourth Place ($1,500 in merchandise and IDSS interface device with one-year subscription)

• RICHARD NONAMAKER - Rush Isuzu Truck, Waco Robinson, Texas

Finalists:

• JASON BABCOCK - Bob Clapper Isuzu Truck, Janesville, Wisconsin
• SCOTT BODALL - All American Isuzu Truck, Old Bridge, New Jersey
• JESSE DUBECK - TruckSmart Isuzu Truck, Morrisville, Pennsylvania
• LAZARO GARCIA - Nextran Isuzu Truck Center, Miami, Florida
• DANIEL KIELTYKA - Beyer Bros. Isuzu Truck, Fairview, New Jersey
• THOMAS McBRIDE - Isuzu Truck of Fayetteville, Fayetteville, North Carolina
• BILL NIELDS - Faulkner Isuzu Truck, West Chester, Pennsylvania
• CRAIG WIRE - Rush Truck Center, Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Hundreds of viewers at dealerships and homes around the country viewed the awards ceremony via live stream.