Wide format printer manufacturer Roland DG will host its Global SE Awards competition at company headquarters in Hamamatsu, Japan, Oct. 20-22. A group of 21 service engineers from 18 countries – two of them from the U.S. – will be competing for the title of “World Champion.”

The company created the competition to recognize the contributions of its service engineers and to raise the quality and uniformity of the services they provide to the highest level.

The finalists will compete against each other in a series of rigorous inkjet printer-related tests and challenges over two days. A Roland DG judging panel will evaluate the product knowledge and troubleshooting skills of each competitor. This year, two finalists from U.S.-based Roland dealerships – Greg Hulbert with Florida Graphic Supplyin Clearwater, Florida, and Terry Carpenter with Far From Normal in Fargo, North Dakota – will make a run at the title.

Roland DG’s first SE competition was held in 2008 but that was only limited to its technicians residing in Japan. In 2013 the competition was opened up to SEs from Roland subsidiaries around the world.