5th Annual CAA Maintenance Mania Education Conference & Competition a Huge Success

On Thursday, October 15, 2015, the Chicagoland Apartment Association (CAA) hosted the 5th annual Maintenance Mania® competition at JC Restoration in Rolling Meadows. Consisting of eight maintenance-focused challenges, this season’s competitors tested their maintenance skills and knowledge of the industry as they competed to earn the title of Maintenance Mania® National Champion.

Maintenance Mania is a national competition where apartment maintenance technicians are able to compete against each other in various skill-based games focused on frequent maintenance issues. The competition is offered by the National Apartment Association, a leading advocate for quality rental housing, and presenting sponsor HD Supply Facilities Maintenance, a leading supplier of maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products to the multifamily industry. Nearly 70 qualifying events are hosted nationwide by regional NAA affiliates, providing 20 top technicians the opportunity to compete at the National Championship to be held in June in San Francisco.

“Maintenance professionals are the unsung heroes of the multifamily housing industry,” said NAA President and CEO Doug Culkin, CAE. “These dedicated men and women are the backbone of apartment communities, and NAA’s Maintenance Mania program showcases the best of the best in the industry. We’re extremely proud to be able to shine a light on such an outstanding group of individuals.”

Racing against the clock, this year’s highly skilled maintenance professionals competed to see who was the fastest at water heater installation, key control, faucet installation, icemaker installation, fire & carbon monoxide safety installation, toilet conversion and ceiling fan installation. The event concluded with a race car competition, where competitors built a model car using at least one maintenance product or part, and raced it down a pinewood derby-style track.

While everyone did an outstanding job, it was a sweep by Pangea Properties for the top three spots:

• 1st Place: Juan Carillo (time of 1.44)
• 2nd Place: Giovani Rodriguez (time of 2.02)
• 3rd Place: Ernesto Lomeli (time of 2.11)

The Chicagoland Apartment Association (CAA) would like to give special thanks to generous event sponsors: JC Restoration, HD Supply, Ferguson Facilities, SRM ServiceMaster, Floor & Wall, Canine Detection, NIR Roof Care, BG Staffing and Impark.

A complete list of competitor times and additional event information can be viewed on the CAA website at http://www.caapts.org/maintenance-mania.html.