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​Kia Guildford’s Dave Weston Achieves Master Technician Status in Under a Year​

Dave Weston is “like a sponge” when it comes to knowledge; he loves to learn, and he loves to pass this learning on to his colleagues. So when he started working for Snows KIA in September 2015, he was determined to develop his skills in order to become an expert for the KIA brand.

As a conscientious person with a drive to succeed, Dave knows that the more knowledge he has of his brand, the more he will be able to assist the customer with his expertise. With this in mind, it’s no wonder that he has achieved Master Technician status in under a year. He is the only person at KIA Guildford to have reached this level, but he still says that “there’s always room for improvement”.

It’s no mean feat to become a Master Technician, and Dave had to pass a number of courses in a short time frame in order to succeed. First, he achieved Certified Technician status having completed four courses (Expert levels 1-4), each with an online assessment which requires a 70% pass rate; Dave has passed every one without fail.

When the opportunity arose to complete the Master Technician course, Dave jumped at the chance. The development requires a knowledge of hybrid models – including KIA’s Niro, Optima hybrid, and Soul EV – which can also be used across many marques. Once again, he passed and became KIA Guildford’s first Master Technician.

Dave was rewarded for his efforts when Group Chairman Stephen Snow visited the dealership along with KIA Franchise Manager Adam Lawrence, who presented Dave’s certificate and a bottle of bubbly to thank him for his work. The rest of the team were there to congratulate Dave, who is looking forward to sharing what he’s learned. In particular, he hopes to help apprentice Drew Taplin as he progresses with the Group.

Car Technician Certificate
Snows Kia Technician Award


Derek Lewis, Aftersales Manager at Snows KIA Guildford, stated “Dave has done very well to achieve Master Technician status in under a year – it’s almost unheard of. It’s great to see that his achievements are being recognised by the Group, and I have every faith that he will continue to develop his skills during his time with Snows KIA Guildford”.

Going forward, Dave plans to take part in the competition TopTechnician.co.uk. He reached the countrywide final of the competition in 2013, and hopes to progress even further this year. He’d also like to get involved with a KIA-run competition for technicians, in which he came in the top 85% last year. This competition involves a practical assessment in the UK with a Semi-Final in Germany and the Final in South Korea, where KIA is based.

We wish Dave all the best of luck going forward, and a long and lucrative career with Snows. Congratulations once again!


Snows has 33 dealerships across the South of England, stretching from Plymouth to Guildford, and including the Isle of Wight. The Group prides itself on its reputation and dedication to delivering excellent customer service, and is rewarded by the fact that over half of its business comes from returning customers. With Snows, driving becomes an experience, rather than a chore.

Author: Charlotte Saunders

Please contact Sophie Taylor using Sophie.Taylor@snowsgroup.co.uk or 02380 707750 with all press enquiries.