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Team Harju from Finland win the world’s biggest competition for workshop personnel

On May 31–June 1 the finals were held for VISTA – Volvo Trucks’ and Volvo Buses’ global competition for workshop personnel. The winning team, Team Harju from Finland, took the victor’s laurels a second time thanks to excellent teamwork and problem-solving ability.
Team Harju from Finland win the world’s biggest competition for workshop personnel

At a gala dinner on June 1 the winners of the 2016 VISTA competition (Volvo International Service Training Award) were announced: Team Harju from Finland.

“This is unbelievable – I’m extremely proud and happy for my team,” says Immo Harju, team leader of Team Harju. “VISTA is always a very hard competition. If you want to be successful, you must keep learning everyday. Even during the world final, we have been learning new things – so to win it again is amazing.”

The first part of the competition, in which the participants answered theory questions in three rounds, was held in September, November and February. After that, the best teams went on to the regional semi-finals in April, from which 32 teams qualified for the global finals in Gothenburg on May 31–June 1.

VISTA is a competition that has only winners. The most important result is the competence development that the competition promotes. The primary goal of VISTA is to develop and improve the participants’ knowhow, skills and ability to cooperate. This in turn leads to improved quality in the work carried out at workshops around the world. Ultimately this means that VISTA contributes to improved customer service and increased customer satisfaction.


Final results VISTA 2015-2016

First: Team Harju, Finland
Second: Zarren 1, Belgium
Third: de Fietsemakers, The Netherlands
Best team spirit: Swissta, Switzerland
Best newcomer: Riga, Latvia

Facts about VISTA
VISTA is a competition for workshop personnel in Volvo Trucks’ and Volvo Buses’ global service network. It is the biggest competition of its kind in the world, bringing together more than 18,000 participants from 96 countries. The competition started in 1957 in Sweden and since then has become an international event that is held every second year.

The primary goal of VISTA is to develop and improve the employees’ knowhow and skills, enhance their ability to work in groups, and further raise the quality of the work carried out. Ultimately, VISTA leads to better customer service and increased customer satisfaction.

Each team consists of two to four people and the competition begins with three sessions of theoretical questions that the teams answer in their own workshops. After that round, the best teams continue on to the regional semi-finals, from which 32 teams qualify for the global finals that are held in Gothenburg, Sweden. The term “workshop personnel” includes customer receptionists, parts personnel, technicians and mechanics.


June 2, 2016


For further information, please contact:
Helena Lind, Manager Media Relations, Volvo Bus Corporation 
Phone: +46 (0)31-323 62 57

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