Tūrangi line mechanic connects team to victory

TLC's winning team took out the competition (left to right): Carl Botha, Mike Fox, Shaun Edgerton, Jordan Hughes, Richard Bishop, Wiremu Te Tawhero, Tallis Karaitiana, Dion Adams, Shogun Haami, and Jared Murrell.

It’s official: a Central North Island crew from The Lines Company (TLC) has triumphed over the competition to be named New Zealand’s line mechanic champions.

The seven-man TLC team, coached by Dion Adams, returned this week from the national line competition in Invercargill laden with awards.

They won the prestigious overall line mechanic competition as well as three separate category awards (electrical theory, hardware install and LV pillar/underground cable).

Tūrangi-based cable jointer Richard (Bish) Bishop won the pit rescue category in his competition, the first time TLC has entered the cable-jointer contest.

Finally, Te Kūiti-based TLC trainee Shaun Edgerton rounded off the week when he was named one of three finalists in the Distribution Trainee of the Year.

The result was the best TLC has had since the prestigious and challenging national industry competition began in 2002.

Only three of the team – line mechanic Wiremu Te Tawhero, foreman Jordan Hughes and team coach and foreman Dion Adams – had competed at the event before.

TLC chief executive Mike Fox was “beyond stoked” at the result, but not surprised.

“These guys are super talented and highly skilled.

“They work in some of New Zealand’s most challenging conditions and they’re recognised right across the country as being top-class.

“I know the effort they put in every day, but I also know how hard they trained, how committed they were to this competition and how much they had each other’s back.

“I’m just incredibly proud of them, not just today, but every day.”

Until a few years ago, TLC had been largely absent from the national competition.

“But we’re back with determination now and everyone knows it.

“We’ve got a title to defend and I reckon there are other categories we are quite capable of winning. “This is just the start of what I hope will be well-deserved national recognition for our crews.”

Mike said the community had swung in behind the team and provided a lot of support from home. Meanwhile, other TLC staff covered those competing to make sure there were no problems on the network while they were away.

“Everyone played a part so it will be good to have a celebration in the next few weeks and recognise that.”

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