ABB Investing $1 Million in Peak Innovation Center
(Left to right): Jason Green, human resource business partner manager, ABB; Tim Allen, chamber president and CEO, Fort Smith; U.S. Rep. Steve Womack; Jesse Henson, president of ABB’s NEMA motor division; and Dr. Terry Morawski, superintendent of Fort Smith Public Schools. Image courtesy of ABB
FT. SMITH, Ark. — ABB’s NEMA motor division is pleased to announce its support of Peak Innovation Center in Fort Smith, Arkansas. A $1 million investment will be dedicated to the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment for the Advanced Manufacturing program and its automation/robotics, electronics technology, and computer integrated machining pathways.
“Today, we are investing in our business with automation solutions and data-driven processes,” said Jesse Henson, president of ABB’s NEMA motor division. “These improvements require positions and skill sets we didn’t imagine 10 years ago. We are pleased to partner with Peak to help local students develop the skills we need, and we are honored to invest in those students, their families, and our region.”
Johnny McKusker, vice president, operations, added, “We are excited that students will experience hands-on, real-world learning, taught by industry-experienced instructors at Peak. Upon graduating high school, Peak students will be prepared to immediately enter the workforce, continue on to college, or do both with the support of their new employers.
“ABB’s investment in Peak Innovation Center will offer students the opportunity to develop their knowledge and expertise in the areas of Advanced Manufacturing, with the option of taking their skills directly into the workforce after graduation,” said Terry Morawski, superintendent, Fort Smith Public Schools. “We are very grateful for ABB’s leadership. They have supported the development of Peak from its very beginning, and we couldn’t be more thankful to them for their generosity.”
Peak Innovation Center is a regional partnership between Fort Smith Public Schools and the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith, and it has been strongly supported by the voters of Barling and Fort Smith, the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, and multiple local businesses. Career pathways at Peak, which opens in August 2021, will be available to approximately 43,000 total students from 22 regional school districts. The four distinct programs will focus on Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology, Health Care Sciences, and the Arts. Eleventh and 12th grade students enrolled in the programs will earn technical concurrent credit from the Western Arkansas Technical Center at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. For more information, visit www.us.abb.com.
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