The winner of the American Master Installer Auto Glass Championship will represent the United States in the International Master Fitter Competition. 
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Day 2: Saturday, October 25
USA TAKES THE GOLD PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS

Day 1: Monday, October 6
Day 1 Photo Highlights

Day 2: Tuesday, October 7
Day 2 Photo Highlights

2008 International Master Fitter Competition | Dusseldorf, Germany  | October 24-25
A Letter from Leo Cyr, NGA Vice President of Auto Glass

Dusseldorf, Germany

USA TAKES THE GOLD

Saturday, October 25, 2008

There won’t be any descriptions of our sightseeing exploits today. The entire National Glass Association delegation is still jumping up and down over the success of our American Master Auto Glass Installer Champion, Jeff Olive. As reported yesterday, Jeff held a slim lead in the overall standings. We learned this morning the lead was seven points. With Jeff’s specialties of windshield repair and windshield replacement still to come, we were hopeful but not overconfident. All you had to do was look into Jeff’s eyes to see the determination. He was so close but the Hungarian, Japanese and Danish champions still stood in the way.

Windshield repair went very well for Jeff and he increased his lead by another point. Going into the last event of windshield replacement, it was pretty obvious that the only competitor with a chance to catch Jeff was the young man from Hungary. It was not to be for Jeff kept the pressure on. At this writing, I’m not sure what the final margin of victory was because our entire delegation started yelling and screaming as soon as Jeff’s first name was announced. We didn’t even wait to hear the last name before we drowned out the announcer. Hungary finished second. Denmark andJapan tied for third.

I swear it was like watching Michael Phelps win eight gold medals all wrapped into one. I had a lump in my throat that nearly choked me as the American flags started waving. Without question, this was the most emotional moment in my 25 years of affiliation with our American glass industry. What a proud day for the United States, the National Glass Association, Glasspro, and the entire Olive family. Jeff and Maehing are a delightful, dynamic couple. We enjoyed every moment we spent with them.  

As you might expect Jeff was gracious in victory. He thanked the NGA, his employer Paul Heinauer and his installation partner, Randy Layton. Randy was an absolute eagle eye in noticing the small problems that make all the difference in a competition such as this. Details count – big time!

NGA Chairman of the Board of Directors Steve Mort did a fantastic job as a contest judge. Actually, all the judges did a great job. A special thanks to Pim de Ridder who as Managing Director of the International Auto Glass Conference organized a very special, well run event.

2008 International Master Fitter Competition | Dusseldorf, Germany  | October 24-25
A Letter from Leo Cyr, NGA Vice President of Auto Glass

Dusseldorf, Germany

Today is Friday, October 24, 2008, and the first day of the Master Fitter Competition is history. Today's exercises were sidelite replacement and backlite removal / replacement. Tomorrow, the contest wraps up with windshield repair and windshield replacement. Tomorrow afternoon we will know who the 2008 world champion will be. At the end of the Day 1, our U.S. Champion Jeff Olive is in FIRST PLACE. The scores are very close but - even so - the rest of the competitors will be chasing Jeff tomorrow. 

U.S. Champion Jeff Olive prepares for Day 1 of the international competition.

The National Glass Association delegation to the International Master Fitter (IMF) Competition arrived just fine in Dusseldorf (means the little village on the River Dussel. It looked liked a trout stream to me). U.S. Champion Jeff Olive (Glasspro) and his wife, Maehing, left Charleston, SC late last week and took a few days to enjoy Holland and Germany. First Runner-Up Randy Layton, along with Tom Huff, both of Mr. Go-Glass, arrived Wednesday morning, October 22nd after taking the train from Frankfurt. Paul Heinauer, President of Glasspro, and his wife Paula arrived today and went straight to the competition. Makes me tried thinking about it.. 

The United States auto glass industry is also ably represented on the IMF Judging Committee by Steve Mort of Don's Mobile Glass. Steve is an experienced Judge having served in this capacity during the 2006 IMF competition and the 2008 U.S. Championship two weeks ago in Las Vegas. Steve and his wife Susan arrived from their German tour in time to join the competitors, organizers and other judges for a Thursday evening dinner at a restaurant on the banks of the Rhine River. The restaurant featured Rhine Valley cuisine and was once a rowing club clubhouse. We even took a ferry back to the mainland after dinner. The Rhine is very low these days. We learned the average depth was only about 1.5 meters (4 ½ feet) but the current is incredibly strong.     

Left to Right.Randy Layton, Tom Huff, Beth Cyr, Leo Cyr, Susan Mort, Steve Mort, Maehing Olive and Jeff Olive

I must admit our first glimpse of Messe Dusseldorf was misleading. The entrance is very ordinary and betrays no hint of the vastness hidden within. My preparations told me Messe Dusseldorf consisted of 19 exhibit halls of which Glasstec fills Halls 9 through 17. However, it is not until you move through the entranceway and reach the huge, open area that separates the Halls that it becomes obvious how many miles are about to be logged. I think everyone I saw was either limping or doing what my wife calls the "Florida Slow Saunter". Oh, my aching feet. The place is H-U-G-E.

When we finally reached Hall 10 and the site of the Championship, it was if our heads were on swivels. It's hard to describe but I think all of us were suffering from sensory overload. There was so much to see it was difficult to absorb it all. I think our American Champion Jeff was the calmest of all of us. Jeff had represented the U.S. in 2006 at the IMF competition so there was the temptation to say he's been there and done that before. I soon realized that was not the case. Jeff simply had on his "game face". To all who saw him, he appeared as cool and self-assured as could be. I'm sure his calmness rattled some of the other competitors. However, Jeff's eyes showed a true competitor who was ready to start what he had prepared to do for two years - bring the World Championship Gold Medal to the United States.

U.S. Champion Jeff Olive (left) with NGA's Leo Cyr and Randy Layton (right) in the moments before the opening of the 2008 World Championships.

I'll be back tomorrow with the final results. Keep your fingers crossed for us...leo

The 2008 American Master Installer Auto Glass Champion…
Jeff Olive of Glasspro, Inc.

Day two of the American Master Installer Auto Glass Competition saw Jeff Olive of Glasspro, Mount Pleasant, S.C., take first place in the 2008 American Master Auto Glass Installer Championship in Las Vegas Oct. 7. Randy Layton of Go-Glass, Bridgeville, Del., was first runner-up. Both technicians will travel to Düsseldorf, Germany, this month, where Olive will represent the United States in the International Master Fitter Competition held in conjunction with glasstec Oct. 21-25. This will be Olive's second trip to Germany as the U.S. champion. He placed third in the International Master Fitter Competition in 2006.

For video interviews with the champion and first runner-up, click here.

First runner-up, Randy Layton with NGA President, Phil James.

Phil James, NGA President, brings all the finalists on stage and called them all winners in the industry.

Crowds gathered in anticipation of the announcement of the champion.

Day one of the American Master Installer Auto Glass Competition was held Monday at the Las Vegas Hilton in conjunction with GlassBuild America.  Hundreds of spectators wandered in and out of the competition area to watch the proceedings with great interest and curiosity.  Many friends and family members of the contestants were also in attendance to support their favorite finalist.

The contest began with a one-hour windshield repair exercise. During the first fifteen minutes, the judges quizzed the contestants on their knowledge of the Repair of Laminated Automotive Glass Standard (ROLAGS). After the questions, each contestant was expected to repair a windshield damaged by judges Frank Levesque and Jay Sampson. All contestants finished within the allotted time frame.

Once the windshield repair exercise was complete, the windshield replacement portion of the competition took place. For windshield replacement, the Judges again began by asking each competitor a series of questions about the industry’s best practices standard based on the Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standard (AGRSS).  By 1:00pm, all the competitors had successfully completed their windshield removal and replacement portion of the competition. The first day of the 2008 American Championship was history.

Stay tuned for details from Day 2, including the announcement of the winner of the American Master Installer Auto Glass Competition.  The champion and first runner-up will then travel to Germany for the International Master Fitter Competition in two weeks.

Master of Ceremonies, Jay Sampson of Safety Auto Glass greets contestants.

A windshield is readied for the repair segment of the competition.

Todd Rennie of Glass America.

Kent Gines of Glass Doctor.

Jeff Bloomhuff of Advanced Auto Glass, Inc.