WINNIPEG, Man. — Volvo Manitoba Truck Centre of Winnipeg, Man. was a finalist in the 2005 Volvo International Service Technical Association (VISTA) competition.

The competition is a hands-on event that recognizes the top dealer service and parts personnel in the Volvo dealer network. Hundreds of people compete in the six-month program, Volvo says. It’s held every two years and involves three-person teams fielded by Volvo dealers (usually combining service and parts experts).

The North American VISTA winner this year was the team fielded by GATR of Sauk Rapids in Sauk Rapids, Mich. However, the Manitoba dealership wasn’t far behind. In fact, it was one of four teams to compete in the final round.

Each member of the winning team won a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a trip to Sweden to compete against other winners from around the world.

Volvo says the VISTA program has proven there’s a correlation between dealers with teams in the final round and high customer satisfaction indexes.

"We’ve been hitting the books pretty hard and honing our skills," said Greg Wentworth, a shop foreman for GATR and a member of the winning team. "I think this got everyone in the dealership fired up."