News - Armstrong International

Armstrong International Inc., a family-owned company founded in 1900, will begin offering "continuing education units (CEUs)" to thousands of distributors, customers and maintenance personnel worldwide at its Southwest Michigan plant in Three Rivers, thanks to a new partnership with Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Michigan Technical Education Center (M-TEC).

Starting in September at its long-running "Armstrong Steam University," the St. Joseph County-based, century-old, 1,000-employee global manufacturer of steam, air and hot-water products and systems for a variety of industries will deliver training that carries CEUs from an accredited institution of higher education. Armstrong and M-TEC will jointly sign the certificates for graduates of the program.

"What this means," said David Casterline, director of corporate communications for the fourth-generation company, "is that the professionals and tradesmen that maintain Armstrong-produced systems and equipment will be receiving value-added training because it will meet International Association of Education and Training requirements for issuing CEUs."

"These types of training opportunities in the care and repair of steam-utilization systems, hot-water heaters and pressure-reduction valves are especially important for companies," said David M. Armstrong, chief executive officer and president of Armstrong International. "Nothing good happens in manufacturing when there is a shutdown because of an equipment malfunction."

"Armstrong is an innovative company with a unique work culture and we are pleased to be partnering with it," said James DeHaven, the M-TEC’s executive director. "Because the M-TEC is part of Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Armstrong will now be able to link the important training that it provides for the thousands using Armstrong systems across the world with non-credit CEUs. It gives the training more clout and meaning to those who need to stay current with changes in industry and for professional re-certification requirements. It’s all about quality."

DeHaven said the Armstrong partnership is similar to one that M-TEC forged with Flowserve Corp. more than two years ago. The main difference is that Armstrong will be providing the location – "Armstrong Steam University" that was established in 1958 at its Three Rivers manufacturing facility.

Flowserve established its training center inside the M-TEC, which is located in The Groves, the college’s 248-acre business-education-technology park along I-94 at Ninth Street. The 70,000-square-foot, two-level M-TEC at KVCC opened for business in late March of 2001.

Now carrying the mantra of CEUs, the Armstrong training, which will also eventually be complemented by a web-based alternative, will provide plant professionals using the company’s equipment around the world the opportunity to encounter real-life scenarios, fashion realistic solutions to critical problems, and build their maintenance skills. The latter is also important for pipe fitters and plumbers.

By learning how to improve the performance of Armstrong systems in their plants and in tracking maintenance records, these professionals will be helping their companies derive full value from the equipment in which major investments have been made.

Putting instruction and theory into action, the Armstrong training updates the knowledge about steam, valving, fluid handling, humidification, water heaters, and safety measures involved in all of these processes.

"This is right in line with the M-TEC mission," DeHaven said, "and that is to help local companies stay viable in the highly competitive business environment around the world through its training capabilities."

DeHaven said the M-TEC, which has brokered training for scores of companies and thousands of workers as part of the state of Michigan's EDJT (Economic Development Job Training) program since its opening, is moving toward establishing Armstrong-like relationships with other manufacturing enterprises in Southwest Michigan.

"Workforce development is all about economic development," DeHaven said, "and that's what we are all about, from providing continuing education for health-care professionals to upgrading the computer competence of workers to improving the skills of people involved in high-tech manufacturing."

"High-tech companies cannot succeed without high-tech talent," he said. "That’s a simple and basic principle. No matter how advanced and state-of-the-art buildings, equipment and supplies may be, skilled people are needed to utilize them properly and efficiently."

Armstrong International's educational motto is "Knowledge Not Shared Is Energy Wasted."

For more information about Armstrong International Inc. and its Armstrong Steam University, call 269.273.1415.

For more information about KVCC's M-TEC, contact James DeHaven at 269.353.1280 or by e-mail jdehaven@kvcc.edu