BY JOLENE CRIBBS
This past summer, Indiana County’s Technology Center’s Machining Technology program received a very large donation from Machine Rebuilders, Inc. An estimated $43,000 in time and equipment was donated to the center for the benefit of our students. President of the company, Thomas Kitchen, donated his time, skills, and some new equipment to Machining Tech. When asked why he did it, he simply said, “It’s vital for students of all ages to learn with good, working equipment.” Machining Technology had a big growth spurt this year, as well, growing from 25 students in total to 40. 2019 marks the first year that these machines will be used in the program.
Mr. Kitchen graduated from ICTC in 1982 and started his company the same year. And it’s not just what he’d done within the community-some of the products that his company have manufactured have gone into space! But, manufacturing is vital to the world below the stars, in almost everything we do. “Everything from the refrigerator to the car that brought you to school, to the phone you’re talking on right now, all technology is based off of manufacturing.” Mr. Kitchen’s company touches the community every day, from helping to build parts for the technology that we use, to building things most of us never give a thought to in a normal day. His company provides rebuilding services for older equipment and builds new equipment daily. He hopes that his donation is spurring technological development in the student body at ICTC, and hopes that the students find jobs in the machining world as adults. He understands the vitality of machining and the class from which he grew, where students learn about everything metal-from bolts to the properties of certain metals. He’s proud of the students and what they’re doing at ICTC, and hopes that the machines will be used to learn and grow.
October is manufacturing month, and since October fourth is national manufacturing day, our Machining Technology and Digital Communications classes are working together to create a virtual tour of Machine Rebuilders. As a string of clips of the shop play, Mr. Kitchen will explain what is going on within the shop. It will be an amazing opportunity to see what goes on in an actual shop every day. The students and teachers are all very excited to complete the tour and experience.