Photo provided Shawn Dickmeyer, a TMH associate, earned gold in the Welding category at the 2022 TMH Global Skills Competition.
Shawn Dickmeyer, a Toyota Material Handling associate, won a gold medal in the welding category at the 2022 Global Skills Competition in Takahama, Japan last month. Dickmeyer beat competitors from other Toyota companies in China, France, Italy and Sweden, as well as other U.S. competitors.
Dickmeyer became the first Toyota Material Handling representative to win gold in the welding category. Kim Douglas, a fellow TMH associate, won gold for assembly, allowing TMH to sweep the competitive event for the first time in company history.
Veteran TMH competitors Phil Roberts and Leon Moore were credited as Dickmeyer’s inspiration behind his victory. He spent the last three of nearly 13 years at TMH in the training department working with Roberts and Moore. The two convinced Dickmeyer to compete, supporting and coaching him for a year prior to the competition.
Dickmeyer proved his superior skills against other competitors from Toyota group companies in North America during a regional competition, before advancing to the global competition in Japan.
Dickmeyer focused on welding a vessel and a complicated joint in less than 40 minutes. Competitors are judged for criteria including weld size, position, appearance, and testing the vessel up to a certain PSI pressure.
TMH dedicated a special day to celebrate each of the champions, including signs and banners, their favorite meals, and gold cookies with red, white and blue ribbons. Dickmeyer said he was overwhelmed by congratulatory messages from his colleagues.
Toyota Material Handling, headquartered in Columbus, is North America’s leading manufacturer of forklifts.
