TENARIS PLEDGES $150,000 TOWARD NEW ANC CENTER FOR ALLIED TECHNOLOGIES

TENARIS PLEDGES $150,000 TOWARD 

NEW ANC CENTER FOR ALLIED TECHNOLOGIES

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.