Charlotte, NC (January 20, 2010) – Okuma America Corporation, Hartwig, Inc. and Davis Applied Technology College (DATC) formally opened the new Okuma Technology Institute with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a 3-day celebration of manufacturing technology. The 3-day event was attended by representatives from local businesses and manufacturing facilities from 8 states.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was led by DATC President Michael Bouwhuis who recognized Larry Schwartz, President and COO of Okuma America and Gary Hartwig, President of Hartwig, Inc. President Bouwhuis thanked them for their vision and their contributions to education and manufacturing, stating that, “In my career, this is the most exciting partnership we’ve ever created.”
Also on hand for the event were Jim Smith, President of the Davis Chamber of Commerce, Gary Harter from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and former senator Haven Barlow, for whom the building which houses the Okuma Technology Institute was named. Throughout the three days manufacturers and students were treated to machining demonstrations and seminars on productivity improvement, including lean manufacturing and automation. Representatives from members of Partners in THINC were on hand to discuss manufacturing technology and peripheral equipment including gaging, tooling, work holding and software.
The Okuma Technology Institute will help educate and train DATC students to become CNC programmers and machinists. The facility also serves as a showroom for Hartwig, Inc. to use to demonstrate Okuma technology to manufacturers in the region. Ken Evans, DATC machine tool technology instructor, stated, “When a customer buys a machine, we can package the training. It really is a win-win situation for us, for Okuma and for the customer.”
