Two Southeastern Equipment service technicians win service awards in global competition with hundreds of technicians.
After months of regional competitions and technical training, Byron Eck and Kyle Helmke of Southeastern Equipment earned their place on Team KOBELCO USA. The team achieved an impressive 3rd place overall and 1st place in the "Troubleshooting Relay" event — a remarkable accomplishment among hundreds of elite technicians from across the globe.
Held annually since 2003, this competition brings together top KOBELCO technicians from around the world — including North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, India, Asia, China, the Middle East and Africa — to test their skills in hands-on service challenges, inspections and troubleshooting events.
"Having the opportunity to not only compete but place in this international competition has been one of the greatest experiences of my career," said Helmke. "I would like to express my gratitude to KOBELCO USA for this experience."
"I share Kyle's appreciation for the opportunity," said Eck. "I also want to thank our FSR Justin, technical trainer James and the other KOBELCO staff for helping me showcase my skills on the global stage. A special thanks to Nomoto and Louis for guiding us through Japan — showing me places and experiences I may never have seen otherwise."
The multi-day event combined advanced diagnostics, equipment maintenance challenges and repair simulations. Beyond competition, participants were able to explore Japan, including cultural visits to Hiroshima and Tokyo — turning a professional milestone into a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
"Southeastern is very proud of Kyle and Byron," said Kitrick Kay, director of product support. "We make training a priority and strive to instill problem-solving and reliability in our already amazing techs. It isn't easy to be experts in so many different product lines, and we're incredibly proud of their dedication."
Southeastern Equipment's relationship with KOBELCO reflects a shared commitment to excellence, reliability and continuous learning. Competitions like the Global Service Technical Contest allow technicians to refine their expertise, share best practices and bring that knowledge home to better serve customers in the field.
For more information, visit southeasternequip.com.
