maintenance olympics
celebrates 20 years
BY ED SCHELL, HD SUPPLY
I
t is really hard to believe that Maintenance
Olympics has reached 20 years. It seems
like only recently that we were doing the first
event. The metamorphosis of the event from
a upstart local event to a nationally recognized event
participated in by thousands is amazing.
Initially there was a small committee with
an idea to do something fun focused on the
maintenance staff. To the best of my recollection,
the original committee included Jeff Harmon,
Amie Harmon, Dene Merrow and Dean Trujillo
(I apologize if I have forgotten anyone). As we
formulated an idea, we pulled in Mark Williams
and decided that an education component was
important for the best opportunity for success.
ED SCHELL HAS BEEN MAINTENANCE
OLYMPICS CHAIR FOR 20 YEARS.
Today, the general idea stands—Maintenance
Olympics is an event primarily for maintenance staff
to celebrate their contribution to the multifamily
industry and to gain and share knowledge.
The first year,
I recall we had as
many suppliers as
participants, with total
numbers around 60,
and we had events
such as caulking,
painting, plunger ring
toss and mirror cleaning.
It was probably year two
or three where we started
providing lunch and several
committee members would
spend hours flipping burgers,
often times in the snow and
cold of mid-March.
the first official
Maintenance Olympics
“schwag”. There was some
discussion that we would
get chased down by the US
Olympics Committee, but
luckily this never happened.
Overall my fondest memories are of the great
teamwork, innovation, implementation of greatly
committed people over the years. The smiles on
the faces of attendees and competitors has been the
absolute greatest memory.
2000 2006 2014 2019
MAINTENANCE OLYMPICS
BEGINS WITH 60 PARTICIPANTS NATIONAL APARTMENT ASSOCIATION
BEGINS "MAINTENANCE MANIA"
NATIONAL COMPETITION ATTENDENDANCE SURPASES 1,000;
EVENT MOVES TO NATIONAL WESTERN 20TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT MOVES TO
DENVER MART, EXPECTED ATTENDENCE
OVER 1,500
in the last twenty years, maintenance olympics has grown into an event with over 1,800 maintenance professionals,
office staff and supplier partners.
16 | TRENDS
MARCH 2019
the coveted "we hammered 'em" award
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