Arapahoe Community College is getting a lift, in more ways than
one, from Hunter Engineering Co. this fall.
ACC’s auto program is starting a partnership with the
Missouri-based company, which designs, manufactures and sells
automotive service equipment nationwide.
Hunter is installing about $80,000 worth of brand-new equipment
in ACC’s auto lab, which it will rotate out every 60 to 90 days to
make sure students are using the newest tools. In exchange, the
college will purchase two scissor-style vehicle lifts from Hunter
and allow
the company to use its
auto lab as a training facility when classes are not in
session.
“It’s a win-win situation,” said Pete Calkins, head of ACC’s
automotive technology program.
The partnership will be an improvement on the auto department’s
old method
of equipping its garage, Calkins said. For the past few years,
ACC has relied mostly on donations from local shops, usually
ones
that were going out of business. Other parts were purchased
piece-meal, as the department could afford them.
“It was a very haphazard approach,” Calkins said. “And it wasn’t
always current either. We were using a lot of older
equipment.”
The ability to work on the new Hunter equipment
will make it easier for ACC students to find jobs, Calkins said.
Hunter supplies roughly 90 percent of Colorado’s auto stores and
dealerships including Brakes Plus, Big O Tires and Sears.
“Students who graduate from here will already be familiar with
our stuff,” said Bill Obert, a factory sales representative with
Hunter. “These businesses won’t have to train them at
all.”
With one company already asking to recruit the program’s
graduates, Calkins said he thinks the partnership will
significantly improve the school’s auto program.
“I think the quality of instruction has always been and will
continue to be there,” he said. “But the knowledge of what’s
actually in the shops is going to make the difference.”
Contact staff writer Corey Dahl at 303-566-4110 or
cdahl@ccnewspapers.com.