Indianapolis-based Van Rooy Properties pulled off an unprecedented sweep of the top three places in the Fourth Annual Maintenance Mania National Championship, presented by HD Supply and held in New Orleans in conjunction with the 2010 NAA Education Conference & Exposition.
First-time entrant David Garcia took top honors with a cumulative time of 2 minutes, 05.009 seconds. Competition veteran Herb Harr placed second and Enrique Alarcon claimed third. Twenty national finalists competed.
“Lots of practice,” said Garcia, who won the individual Fluidmaster toilet repair event. “Our company lets us take time to work on it and that makes a big difference.”
Harr said practicing among staff members paid off. Van Rooy has a training facility set up at its offices that simulates the Maintenance Mania events.
“If one of us tries something and it helps out our time, we share it with each other so we all do better,” Harr said.
Yesterday’s event marked the fourth consecutive year that Harr has placed among the top three finishers in the national championship.
“The Indiana Apartment Association is proud to have members from Van Rooy Properties win the top three spots in the Maintenance Mania National Championship,” said Lynne Sullivan, CAE, Executive Director of the Indiana Apartment Association. “Sweeping the top three places in competition is a testament to the dedication that Van Rooy Properties has shown, not only to this event, but also to their overall
maintenance program.”
A boisterous and enthusiastic crowd of 700 supporters cheered the competitors on. A number of door prizes were awarded, including $50 American Express gift cards provided by HD Supply and Fluidmaster, a countertop microwave provided by GE Appliance, a portable DVD player provided by Philips, a ceiling fan provided by Seasons, and a Dewalt two-gallon wet/dry vacuum provided by Kwikset. The crowd cheered excitedly as they vied for commemorative T-shirts shot from air cannons.
The excited crowd was a boost for the competition, noted Mike Hendel, Senior Manager, Strategic Marketing, for presenting sponsor HD Supply. “The largest ever crowd at a Maintenance Mania competition was truly inspiring,” he said. “The excitement and industry support behind this event continues to grow every year.”
The First Coast Apartment Association (FCAA), based in Jacksonville, Fla., won the Spirit Award.
“We didn't have the most people at Maintenance Mania, but we most certainly had the most spirited,” said Peggy Queen, FCAA’s Association Executive and Executive Vice President. “FCAA has definitely embraced Maintenance Mania, and our members were excited about cheering on our truly exceptional competitor.”
Suzanne Comer, CPO, CAPS, Executive Officer for the Lubbock Apartment Association, was excited about the participation from her spirit group. “Even though we weren't as crazy as some of the groups, we had lots of fun,” she said. The prizes were a great bonus for the supporters, she added. “The sponsors for the event are so generous and deserve a huge amount of gratitude for their participation.”
Jean Maddalon, Executive Director of the New Jersey Apartment Association, said, “Watching the competition unfold reminded everyone in attendance how much energy, skill, and hard work is required to complete these ordinary tasks that many residents take for granted.”
Other individual event winners included defending champion Jason Frotten, Morgan Group, Jacksonville, Fla., who won the Armor Concepts door security installation and Kidde smoke alarm installation events. Alarcon won the HD Supply ceiling fan installation and the Kwikset lockset rekey events; Harr won the GE appliance repair event; Justin Heenan, Dermot, Wichita, Kan., won the Pfist Series faucet installation event; and Lannon Quintana, Legacy Partners, Aurora, Colo., won the Philips 400 race car competition.
“Maintenance professionals are vital to the multifamily housing industry,” said NAA President Doug Culkin, CAE. “We are extremely proud to be able to shine a light on such an outstanding group of individuals.”
NAA, together with presenting sponsor HD Supply, conducts Maintenance Mania events at affiliated apartment associations throughout the country. The event consists of several skill-based table games based on common maintenance activities and a race car competition. All games are timed to determine the fastest competitor in each game and overall. Each game is supported through national sponsors, including Armor Concepts, Fluidmaster, General Electric, Kidde, Kwikset, Philips, Price Pfister and Seasons.
This program provides an opportunity to recognize the skilled maintenance professionals in their communities who are instrumental to the success and viability of the multifamily housing industry.
For information or to schedule an event for the 2010-2011 season, contact NAA’s Senior Manager of Affiliate Relations Kimberlee Berry at 703/797-0625 or kimberlee@naahq.org.