Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Janicki, Mondello, Glassbrenner
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 11/28/2018
‘I’m Just a Car Nerd That Works on Cars’ (Alan Janicki - 2018)
‘I’m Just a Car Nerd That Works on Cars’
Local auto technician achieves master Class Technician Achievement
Alan Janicki is pictured above holding his recently acquired GM Master Class Technician achievement award. With the achievement, Janicki joins the less than one percent of technicians achieving more than one Master Class Technician certification. (Lori Jayne Carlson/Banner Journal photo)
By Lori Jayne Carlson
Alan Janicki, originally from Neillsville and now from Alma Center, works as an automotive technician at Gross Motors of Black River Falls (BRF). Janicki said he has always been interested in working on automobiles. “I got curious about how things work,” shared Janicki. “When you get curious about how things work, you’ve got to take it apart.”
Janicki recently completed his certification as a GM World Class Technician. “Only three percent of GM technicians are World-Class certified,” Janicki shared.
The certification was a combination of online education and classroom assessments. Training included the categories of brakes, steering/suspension, electrical/electronics, HVAC, manual drivetrain/axle, auto transaxle/transmission, engine repair and engine performance. After passing each of the above, Janicki became a GM Master Technician in each category.
In order to achieve World Class Technician, Janicki had to achieve eight out of nine categories. The process took over 700 hours to complete.
Janicki has worked for Gross Motors of BRF for nine years. He has worked as an automotive technician since 1995.
“I took automotive classes in school,” Janicki shared. “There was more than what the shop teacher was telling me. I knew there was more to it.”
Janicki said for that reason, “Like a little kid, I kept asking ‘Why?’”
After high school, Janicki achieved his associate degree as an automotive technician at North Hennepin Community College in Minneapolis, MN. At the time, the Ford dealership he worked for had an internship-type program where Janicki was able to study for three months, then work at the dealership for three months, giving him the opportunity to apply what he had learned.
Janicki started working towards his Ford World Class Technician achievement and accomplished that in 2005. He explained that less than one percent of technicians holds World Class Technician certifications from more than one automotive maker.
Janicki said he’s mostly interested in learning “shortcuts and little tricks.”
“The more you know, the faster you can do this,” he said of his work.
In addition to his World Class Master Technician achievements, Janicki also was certified and learned porting cylinder heads and race engine blueprints from Joe Mondello who was a famous engine builder in the 1960s.
Does Janicki work on his own vehicles? “My lawn mower has a ported cylinder head,” Janicki replied with a smile. “It doesn’t need it. I was just waiting on a part.”
With the recent addition of the Dodge dealership at Gross Motors of BRF, is he interested in working on his Dodge World Class Technician certification?
“That’s it,” Janicki explained. “It’s time to focus on just being a dad and a husband.
“We’re just really proud of his accomplishments,” commented Tom Glassbrenner, Gross Motors of BRF general manager. He dedicated a lot of time away from his family. We really appreciate all the sacrifices Alan (Janicki) took to get that award.”
“It’s repetitive work,” Janicki said of being an automotive technician. “Every once in a while you get something new. I get all the stuff that fails. ‘I don’t know, give it to Alan.’ I’ve always been able to figure it out.”
Janicki uses a process starting from symptom to system, to component to cause to correction. “If you skip the diagnosis and go right into repairs, you’re wasting money.”
“Sometimes it’s a guessing game,” Janicki admitted. “But, if you go back to symptom to system, to component to cause to correction … it takes you there.”
“I’m just a car nerd that works on cars,” Janicki added.
