TurfNet Technician of the Year 2008
Finalist Profile:
Matt Grove, Seven Oaks Country Club
Beaver, Pennsylvania
When it comes to shopping for parts and saving money for his club, it is doubtful there are many equipment technicians who are more skilled than Matt Grove.
When a sprayer failed at Seven Oaks Country Club in Beaver, Pa., the manufacturer tried selling him an entire manifold for $900 because the components within it no longer were available separately. Grove, whose background is in auto mechanics, disassembled the part and immediately recognized that three bushings inside the unit were worn and needed to be replaced. He found the parts at a local plumbing supply store for 15 cents.
 That's just one of many examples of how Grove has helped save money at Seven Oaks, where he is the equipment technician.
"Matt is the best equipment technician I have worked with in my career," said Seven Oaks assistant superintendent Dallas Cott in nominating Grove for TurfNet's Technician of the Year award presented by Foley United. "He is very versatile in his ability to troubleshoot problems and fix them."
Grove also takes great pride in ensuring a safe working environment for all members of superintendent Dennis Kaminski's staff by training them on the proper use of all equipment in the shop.
"Our No. 1 goal here is safety," Grove said. "And training is a key factor."
But it is Grove's ability to keep equipment in top operating order and finding innovative ways to save money that set him apart, according to Cott.
 When the actuators that control the dumping mechanism on a pair of utility vehicles failed, Grove found replacement parts in an auto parts warehouse that combined were more than $1,000 less than the price he received from the original equipment manufacturer. When the seats on the club's mowing equipment began wearing out, he fashioned brackets that could be adapted to seat saddles that are much cheaper than OEM options.
"He doesn't make any repairs without trying to get the best price available for the parts that he needs," Cott said.
In his 15th year at Seven Oaks, Grove credits his thrifty nature on his background in auto mechanics. He worked for five years for a high-volume auto repair facility in Beaver, eventually ascending to service manager.
"We worked on a lot of cars. We were doing $40,000 in repairs per month," Grove said. "When you're doing that much work, you have to shop around and locate parts and pieces that you'll need. And when you're doing restorations on old cars, sometimes parts aren't available any more an you have to be able to fabricate the parts and pieces that you need."
The same holds true on the golf course.
"When you have 13 guys on the golf course that you have to supply parts and materials for, you get used to shopping around," he said.
Grove also is responsible for servicing and maintaining a fleet of vans owned by the cub and comes in on his days off - with a smile and no questions asked - to fix anything that is in need of repair.
Although Grove's skills as a mechanic and work ethic have helped him earn respect throughout the facility, it was in 2008 when he showed his true mettle.
Grove endured the loss of his wife of 18 years, Mary-Jo, and father, Otto, last year, making 2008 a difficult year from a personal perspective.
Mary-Jo began complaining in late 2007 of back pain. Doctors diagnosed her with a non-small-cell form of cancer that had spread into her bones. Grove's attention immediately shifted from work to caring for his wife and worrying about the couple's four children. Their oldest daughter Gretchen, now 19, no longer was living at home, but Gina, now 16 years old, Matt, 12, and 11-year-old Michael were.
What ensued was a mutual appreciation between a prized employee and loyal employer. Grove told the club that caring for his wife was his top priority. Management at the club responded by offering flexible scheduling and the assurance that he didn't need to be concerned with job security during such a critical time.
"I was worried about taking care of my wife and my kids, because we don't have any immediate family at all close by," he said. "You don't know what's going to happen, and everything goes through your mind. You worry that you are going to lose your house. They told me to do whatever I needed to do and not worry about my job, that my job will always be here.
"Seven Oaks was fantastic. They were behind me 100 percent. It makes you want to work even harder for a place that looks out for you."
Mary-Jo died Feb. 12, about 90 days after her diagnosis. The following week, Grove's father was hospitalized. He died in September at age 84 of congestive heart failure.
Despite his personal tragedies of the past year, Grove focuses on doing the best job he can for his family and his employer. That includes coming to work every day with a smile, even on days when painting a happy face is a challenge.
"I have four kids. I have to get up and get through the day," he said. "It's difficult to deal with what happened, but you have to."
The Technician of the Year award, sponsored by Foley United, is presented annually by TurfNet to one outstanding equipment manager selected from among those nominated by superintendents, assistants, course owners, members, casual golfers, or staff members.
The winner receives the Golden Wrench Award from TurfNet and Foley United.
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