Thermo King crowns 2025 Top Tech Dealer to highlight skilled technician excellence
Key takeaways
- Scott DeWaal of Peak Thermo King won the 2025 Top Tech Dealer for the second consecutive year.
- The 2025 competition drew 158 technicians, a 36% increase from 2024, showing growing participation.
- Finalists completed timed hands-on repairs of refrigeration units and auxiliary power units at Thermo King HQ.
Thermo King recently named Scott DeWaal of Salt Lake City, Utah-based Peak Thermo King as the 2025 Top Tech Dealer competition winner. The company, which is the transport refrigeration brand of Trane Technologies, recognized DeWaal during its annual dealer principal meeting.
Launched in 2023, the Top Tech Dealer Technician Competition demonstrates Thermo King’s commitment to training technicians and investing in a skilled workforce critical to the industry’s future. The contest attracted 158 dealer technicians in 2025, a 36% increase from 2024.
The competition consists of three increasingly challenging phases: a qualifier test, a virtually proctored and timed knowledge test, and an in-person, hands-on final round at Thermo King’s Bloomington, Minnesota, headquarters. In the final round, technicians troubleshoot, diagnose, and repair various refrigeration units and auxiliary power units while being timed and judged.
The top three technicians received recognition and prizes. DeWaal earned $10,000 and a ‘Dynasty Wrench’ trophy, which he will present to the 2026 Top Tech winner. Aaron Hunt from CSTK East (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) placed second, and Josh Carpenter from Thermo King Eastern Canada (Toronto) placed third.
“Investment in our technicians is key to our success as a business and to keeping our customers—and the industry moving,” Joey DeLoach, dealer development leader, Thermo King Americas, stated. “This skilled workforce is a necessity to protecting equipment health and delivering a gold-standard service that ensures food, medicines, and all perishable assets are delivered safely.”
