Tracey Ritchey, Tenaris Community Relations; Dynice Karr, Tenaris Employee Relations Manager; Desmond Hammett, Tenaris University Analyst; Hernan Brondino, Tenaris U.S. Director Welded Division; Dr. James Shemwell, Arkansas Northeastern College President; and Hector Piñeda, Tenaris Weld Mill Manager.
August 3, 2016 – Arkansas Northeastern College’s Center for
Allied Technologies project received another boost from local industry today as
Tenaris has pledged $150,000 toward the College’s newest project.
Tenaris is a leading supplier of tubes and related services
for the world’s energy industry and certain other industrial applications. The
company expanded its presence in the United States when it acquired Maverick
Tube Corporation in 2006, which included a site in Blytheville, Arkansas.
Tenaris is committed to the communities where employees
live and work with the core of their community investment centered on
education. This strategy is based on the
belief that knowledge is essential for growing, developing and enriching
people’s lives.
“Education and training is at
the center of Tenaris’s culture. Supporting institutions such as ANC
extends the academic reach to the community,” said Hernan Brondino,
Tenaris US Director of its welded division. “It’s through initiatives like
this that we, as a team, provide unique opportunities to build more than skill
sets, but enable and empower students to develop and grow.”
Tenaris has a long history of working with Arkansas
Northeastern College. Tenaris has donated over $100,000 to ANC for the purchase
of equipment for the Advanced Manufacturing Program and the College’s
Electrical and Welding Programs. In addition to monetary donations, a donation of
pipe was given to ANC Secondary Center to be used in practical application for
high school students, and they participate in the post-secondary internship
with ANC for students pursuing the Steel Technology degree.
This is in addition to the company’s other local educational
initiatives such as the Academic Excellence Afterschool Program, a partnership
with Blytheville Public Schools, which began in 2010, a high school internship
program for seniors from Armorel, Blytheville and Gosnell school districts and
a merit award program, which recognizes outstanding juniors and seniors from
Blytheville High School.
Tenaris’ community involvement is even more diverse as the
company also supports local adults looking for a better future. Tenaris was one of the first industry
sponsors of ANC’s W.O.R.K. Program. Workforce Orientation & Retraining Keys
(WORK) is a 60 clock hour program designed to lift under-skilled local
residents living in poverty out of poverty and, simultaneously, advance
economic development by expanding the local workforce.
“Our College and our community are so very fortunate to
have tremendous partners like Tenaris,” said ANC President, Dr. James Shemwell,
citing a long relationship with the company that includes extensive training
for Tenaris employees by ANC.
“Arkansas Northeastern
College has worked with Tenaris to provide new-hire training and other classes
as needed for employee advancement, and we look forward to continuing that
training in our new Center for Allied Technologies,” added Shemwell.
The Center for Allied Technologies, to be
located on the ANC Main Campus, will actually decrease the College’s overall
facilities by 30,000 square feet by consolidating the Burdette Center, Harry L.
Crisp Center, and the Aircraft Metals and Engineering Center—with an estimated
costs savings for the College of approximately $100,000 a year in maintenance.
This new facility will feature a headquarters for the College’s
customized training force—The Solutions Group, including general purpose
classrooms, electrical classroom & lab, mechanical classroom/lab, safety
classroom/lab, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Classroom & Laboratory,
computer classroom, and large multi-purpose room. Additionally, a world-class
welding laboratory will be available for students.
Secondary
Center students from area high schools also will be served by this facility
through classroom & laboratories for advanced manufacturing, welding,
criminal justice, education, and construction/carpentry. The design
incorporates a computer lab for the Secondary Center. Also featured is an
aircraft hangar/lab, combination non-destructive testing (NDT) & composites
laboratory, and general purpose classrooms to fully accommodate ANC’s Federal
Aviation Administration—certified Aviation Maintenance Program.
This
latest gift reflects Tenaris’ commitment to being a strong community steward.
The Tenaris pledge to the Arkansas Northeastern College Center for Allied
Technology will help fund the Mechanical Laboratory, two general classrooms and
a conference room space in the new facility.
“We have had the
strongest workforce training program in the state for a number of years, we are
glad to finally see plans for a premier facility on the horizon for these
programs, and we cannot thank Tenaris enough for helping this facility become a
reality,” said Shemwell. Construction work on the project is expected to begin
in 2016 after the completion of design work for the new Center with an
anticipated opening date in Summer 2018.
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