Parts Town Awards Technician Scholarships in 2 Regions

Parts Town has distributed two of the 15 technician scholarships it will give out over the course of 2023.

The first recipient of the $1,500 technician scholarship was Charles Martinez, who co-owns Orlando, Fla.-based A+ Commercial Kitchen Repair alongside Moises Alvarez. Martinez, who represents Region 4, says his company “is still in its infancy,” having been open just under a year.

“We love the freedom of scheduling and the flexibility that comes with a low-cost company,” Martinez told Parts Town. “It allows us to serve our customers in the best way possible while maintaining a profit.”

Meanwhile, in Region 3, Windy City Equipment Service’s Jesus Canales, of Gilbert, Ariz., earned the honors.

Canales, who previously serviced garage doors, went to school at The Refrigeration School and has been in the trade since 2018. He told Parts Town he relishes the opportunity to learn and work with different pieces of equipment.

“From kitchen equipment to cold side to HVAC, I’ve learned so much,” he says. “Hopefully, years from now, I can become a lead technician and pass my knowledge on to the new techs entering the industry.”

Each of Parts Town’s scholarships consists of $500 cash and $1,000 for a CFESA training course, and they are awarded in step with CFESA conferences or events. Three more $1,500 prizes are slated for this year’s CFESA Regional Meetings and another 10 $1,500 prizes will be awarded at the CFESA Annual Conference, in San Antonio, Texas, this October.