Edmonton-based technician brings home first place for LBX at Global Skills Contest

The Global Skills Contest, hosted by Sumitomo Construction Machinery (SCM), is held once every two years to bring together top service technicians from around the world to showcase their technical expertise and dedication to safety. 

At the 2025 competition in Chiba, Japan, 11 countries brought their best across five areas of service excellence: 

• Safety - While not an event on its own, each contestant was monitored closely to ensure that safety was the highest priority in everything they were tasked with.
• Troubleshooting - Machines were faulted in various ways. The technicians were monitored by two judges, who were evaluated on their ability to follow procedures, accuracy, and time.
• Engine Repair - Tasked with replacing injectors while adhering to procedures, torque specifications, and time.
• Maintenance Proposal - Inspect a machine and determine what issues need to be addressed. This was based on a 162-line-item checklist. The contestants had one hour to complete.
• Written Test - A 25-question test relating to all areas of service. 

LBX at the Global Skills Contest 

Earlier this year, Grant Kirk, LBX Service training manager, worked closely with LBX dealers to identify and select the technician who would represent LBX and North America at this prestigious event. After a thorough evaluation, Jesse Lariviere of Equipment Sales and Service (ESS) in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, was given the opportunity to compete.

Kirk explains, "Jesse is a shop technician with 15 years of service. He was highly motivated and driven to excel at the 2025 Global Service Skills Contest. Over the last 8 months, Jesse and I have met multiple times to reinforce his product knowledge on the 210 X3 excavator. I could not have chosen a more qualified candidate."

Jesse's enthusiasm and determination, supported by Grant's technical expertise and training experience, proved to be an outstanding partnership. Together, they brought home first place overall, a tremendous achievement for both LBX and ESS.

This accomplishment reflects the dedication of the LBX team and the strong support of its dealer partner, Equipment Sales and Service. ESS gave Jesse the time and resources to succeed, highlighting the strength of its dealer network and the skill of the technicians representing the Link-Belt brand.