Delo Tractor Restoration Competition
Delo Tractor Restoration Competition[edit]
The Delo Tractor Restoration Competition is a national event for high school-aged students with an interest in agriculture mechanics. To compete in the event, students must restore an antique tractor to “like new” condition, detailing the entire process along the way. According to the sponsors, the event rewards the "determination, mechanical skills and business savvy of high school-aged tractor restoration experts from around the country." Participants restore antique tractors while at the same time develop real-world business skills, including planning, budgeting, teamwork, marketing, project management, and equipment maintenance. Entrants to the competition must submit a workbook that details the entire restoration process, including work done on transmission and auxiliary and ancillary systems, mechanical overhauls of the engine, and the external appearance of the finished product. The event workbook can typically be downloaded in April and is due in August.
The workbooks are reviewed by a panel of tractor restoration experts. Twelve finalists are announced in September and invited to present their projects to a panel of professional tractor restorers during the National FFA Convention in October. Judges grade the projects on the completed restoration, the process used to achieve the final results, what the participants learned, documentation, safety precautions, and an oral presentation.
Although the event takes place at the FFA Convention, participants do not need to be an FFA member to compete.
Following the presentation, Grand Champion, Reserve Champion, and Third Place recipients are selected. Other prizes are awarded for best presentation, photograph, and video. The program also honors an Advisor of the Year.
The Grand Champion receives $10,000, the Reserve Champion receives $5,000, and third place takes home $3,000.
History[edit]
Although it is often claimed the event started in 1995, the earliest verifiable Tractor Restoration Competition took place in 1997 as an agriculture marketing program developed by Amoco OilAmoco Oil.
In mid to late 1990's farm consolidation was rampant. Amoco knew it had high brand awareness among the older generations of farmers but wanted to reach a younger demographic. Amoco turned to its then marketing firm, Chicago-based The Marketing Edge, for ideas. The firm believed antique tractor restoration was popular and that most future farmers were likely involved with their school's FFA program, and that the FFA required members to complete an experiential project as part of their curriculum. The agency created a program for Amoco, targeting FFA members, around those elements.
The first Amoco Tractor Restoration Competition took place at the 1997 FFA convention in Kansas City Missouri..[1]. The total prize money in the first year was $10,000. The money was split into two categories, one for restoration projects done by individuals and the other for projects done by groups (or FFA chapters). First, second and third prizes were awarded in each category.
The Amoco Oil Tractor Restoration Competition was held again in 1998. During that year, Chevron purchased Amoco’s retail and industrial lubricants[2], and with it, the Tractor Restoration Competition.
In 1999, the FFA convention moved to Louisville, Kentucky as did the newly named Chevron Lubricants Tractor Restoration Competition. During this time Chevron acquired Texaco[3] and in 2002 the competition was renamed the ChevronTexaco Tractor Restoration Competition.
In 2005, the competition acquired its current name, the Delo Tractor Restoration Competition, to reflect Chevron’s premium Delo brand of heavy-duty lubricants, which, in part, target the agriculture market. That same year the New York Times published a feature story on the competition[4]. The event stayed in Louisville until 2006 when the FFA convention moved to Indianapolis[5]
From 1997 until 2008, the event maintained its two category format, presenting awards to the top individual and group projects, but in 2009, the Delo Tractor Restoration Competition changed to a single award format, where individuals and groups competed together.
In 2012, Chevron changed the format again, for the first time, allowing non-FFA members to participate in the competition. The total prize package was also increased from $10,000 to $20,000.
In 2013, CaltexCaltex, one of Chevron’s global brands, announced it would conduct a Tractor Restoration Competition in South Africa. The first competition was held in 2014[6], with the second and most recent held in 2015.
Use of Social Media[edit]
In 2008, as a way of increasing awareness of the competition, Chevron introduced a video element, requiring participants to include a video overview as part of their project submissions. The content was placed on the competition's YouTube channel. In 2010, the video content was turned into a separate part of the Tractor Restoration Competition, when Chevron launched an element of the program that allowed the public to vote for their favorite video. The video vote portion of the program is open to all entrants, not just the 12 selected finalists. In 2009, the Delo Tractor Restoration Competition launched Facebook and Twitter channels and began leveraging them to share participant news and updates from the competition. In 2010, Chevron began using its social channels as a tool to announce finalists. In 2015, Chevron added an Instagram channel.
Noteable Winners[edit]
In 2003, Tabetha Salsbury of Pueblo, CO became the first female to win the individual competition, repeating the feat in 2004[7]. In 2007, the Decatur Texas FFA team became the first all-girl team to win the national title[8]. Ryan Haass of Devine, TX was the second individual to win the competition twice, first in 2011[9] and again in 2012[10][11]
Chapters that have won the competition multiple times include the Abernathy FFA of Abernathy, TX (1999, 2000)[12], Cotton Center FFA of Cotton Center, TX (2004, 2005)[13], and Decatur FFA of Decatur, TX (2003, 2007).
Links[edit]
Delo Tractor Restoration Competition
References[edit]
- ↑ https://www.gasenginemagazine.com/tractors/ffa-tractor-restoration-competition
- ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jun/12/business/fi-59086
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/16/business/chevron-agrees-to-buy-texaco-for-stock-valued-at-36-billion.html
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/29/us/battle-of-sexes-with-monkey-wrenches.html?_r=1
- ↑ https://www.ffa.org/ffa2015/Pages/National-FFA-Organization-Announces-National-Convention-and-Expo-Coming-to-Indianapolis-2016-2024.aspx
- ↑ http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/358/118241.html
- ↑ http://www.denverpost.com/2005/11/09/in-the-drivers-seat/
- ↑ http://magissues.farmprogress.com/TFS/FS01Jan08/tfs032.pdf
- ↑ https://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/21/restoring-an-old-farm-tractor-yields-a-championhip-for-a-texas-teenager/
- ↑ https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/10/26/winning-tractor-named-in-chevron-restoration-contest-slideshow/
- ↑ https://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/30/capturing-the-crown-again-in-a-familys-last-tractor-restoration/
- ↑ https://www.pcca.com/article/abernathy-ffa-makes-old-tractors-as-good-as-new/
- ↑ http://lubbockonline.com/stories/110105/lif_110105035.shtml#.WjlvjWinHIU
This article "Delo Tractor Restoration Competition" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Delo Tractor Restoration Competition. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
