On Friday, December 8, 2017, Preston Boyd, Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI) Chairman and Fastener Education Foundation (FEF) Board Member along with Robert Hill, IFI Manager of Industrial Products Division visited Rock Valley College’s Cold Forming Training Center (424 Buckbee Street, Rockford) to present a $20,000 check to the training center. Dave Booker, Rock Valley College’s Cold Forming Training Instructor and Bernie Luecke, Rock Valley College’s Director of the Business and Professional Institute were presented the check from Boyd and Hill.
“On behalf of Rock Valley College and the Cold Forming Training Center, it is with sincere gratitude that we accept this very generous donation from the FEF,” says Bernie Luecke. “The support that we continue to receive from the FEF and IFI is truly amazing and we feel honored that we can help the fastener industry not just locally, but nationally,” adds Luecke.
The monetary donation will help with instructional materials, machinery maintenance, student recruitment and the marketing of the Cold Forming Training Center. This is the second donation from the FEF, the first being $25,000 presented to Rock Valley College at the Fastener Industry Summit in Rosemont, Illinois on June 7, 2017.
“The growth and success of the Rock Valley Cold Heading Training Center is vitally important to the fastener industry,” stated Preston Boyd, current IFI Chairman and FEF Board Member. “Market fluctuations continue to disrupt existing fastener supply chains. Economic recovery is creating opportunities within industry segments dependent on fasteners. Domestic fastener manufacturers are scrambling to find skilled labor to handle the increased demand for their products.” Boyd went on to share, “The program here at Rock Valley affords the fastener industry the chance to partner with the Rockford community to put this area back on the map as the Fastener Capital of the world.”
For additional information about the Cold Forming Training Center, please call (815) 921-2192 or visit rockvalleycollege.edu/coldforming for more information.
