Kyle Burns has been named the 2026 Australian & New Zealand Service Apprentice of the Year, with five Emmetts team members recognised as finalists at this year’s John Deere Technician of the Year Awards.

Kyle Burns, of Emmetts in Horsham, has been named the 2026 Australian & New Zealand Service Apprentice of the Year at the John Deere Technician of the Year Awards in Brisbane.

Kyle was one of five Emmetts team members selected as finalists for the 2026 awards, which recognise the skills, knowledge, and commitment of leading John Deere technicians, parts professionals, and apprentices from across Australia and New Zealand. The winners were announced in Brisbane on 3 September following two days of rigorous testing at John Deere’s Australian headquarters in Crestmead, Queensland.

For Kyle, the win marks another milestone in a career journey that has taken him from automotive electrical work into agriculture, heavy diesel, and now a leadership role within the Emmetts Horsham workshop.

From Automotive Electrical to Agriculture

Kyle joined Emmetts after spending 20 years working as an automotive electrician. Initially joining the team as an agricultural electrical technician, he decided to broaden his skills further by commencing a dual trade in heavy diesel. The move into agriculture was a significant career change, but one Kyle says has been life changing.

“I love helping people and when I can get their equipment up and running again they are so grateful, and that's really rewarding,” Kyle said. “I’m really proud of coming this far in a completely new field in such a short timeframe. I feel like it’s telling me I am on the right path.”

Kyle has quickly developed his capabilities within the busy Horsham workshop and was recently appointed Apprentice Workshop Lead, helping to mentor and support a group of five apprentices. Coming from outside agriculture has also given Kyle a new appreciation for the role technicians play in supporting farmers and keeping machinery working when it matters.

Putting Australia and New Zealand’s Best to the Test

Now in their sixth year, the John Deere Technician of the Year Awards recognise outstanding technical talent across the John Deere dealer network. Thirty finalists across five categories travelled to John Deere’s Crestmead headquarters for two days of testing before this year’s winners were selected.

The testing is designed to challenge finalists’ technical knowledge and practical skills, reflecting the increasingly sophisticated work undertaken by today’s agricultural technicians and parts professionals. Modern machinery requires expertise that extends well beyond traditional mechanical skills, combining diagnostics, electronics, advanced technology, and problem-solving to keep equipment performing in the field.

Five Emmetts Team Members Among the 2026 Finalists

Kyle wasn’t the only Emmetts team member to earn a place at this year’s awards. Five Emmetts employees were selected among the 30 finalists from across Australia and New Zealand:

• Kyle Burns, Horsham – Australian & New Zealand Service Apprentice of the Year – Winner
• Ilias Apostolidis, Cummins – Service Apprentice of the Year finalist
• Robb Burrows, Murray Bridge – Agriculture & Turf Service Technician of the Year finalist
• Luke Gray, Kadina – Agriculture & Turf Service Technician of the Year finalist
• Alex Tyler, Murray Bridge – Parts Technician of the Year finalist

Reaching the finals is a huge achievement and reflects the hard work, expertise, and commitment to customers each finalist demonstrates in their role. Having five Emmetts team members recognised among the best across the Australian and New Zealand John Deere dealer network is something the entire Emmetts team is proud of.

Recognising Technical Excellence Across the John Deere Network

Kyle was one of seven winners recognised at the 2026 John Deere Technician of the Year Awards. This year’s winners were:

• Australian Agriculture & Turf Service Technician of the Year: Brady Gunter, Hutcheon & Pearce, Wagga Wagga
• New Zealand Agriculture & Turf Service Technician of the Year: James Doherty, Drummond & Etheridge, Rolleston
• Australian Parts Technician of the Year: Ashley Ralph, Brandt, Launceston
• New Zealand Parts Technician of the Year: Aaron Game, Brandt, Silverdale
• Australian & New Zealand Construction & Forestry Service Technician of the Year: Hayden Cox, Hutcheon & Pearce, Sydney
• Australian & New Zealand Service Apprentice of the Year: Kyle Burns, Emmetts, Horsham
• Australian & New Zealand Parts Apprentice of the Year: Lauren Lester, RDO Equipment, Toowoomba

John Deere Australia and New Zealand Managing Director Luke Chandler said the winners reflected the depth of technical expertise and commitment to customers found throughout the John Deere dealer network.

“Across every category, our winners demonstrated outstanding technical knowledge, practical skill and a strong commitment to supporting our customers and the industries they serve,” Mr Chandler said. “The finalist testing challenges even the most experienced technicians and parts professionals, and the standard we saw this week was exceptional.”

Keeping Farmers Farming Takes Great People

Behind every machine working through seeding, spraying, harvest, and the jobs in between are people with the skills to diagnose problems, find solutions, source the right parts, and get customers moving again. The achievements of Kyle, Ilias, Robb, Luke, and Alex are a great recognition of that expertise and the work happening across Emmetts branches every day.

Congratulations to Kyle on being named the 2026 Australian & New Zealand Service Apprentice of the Year, to Ilias, Robb, Luke, and Alex on their achievements as finalists, and to all the winners and finalists recognised at this year’s John Deere Technician of the Year Awards.