Endress+Hauser Makes Large Donation In Instrumentation To Polk State College Process Training Unit

PTU is fully equipped through joint efforts of Endress+Hauser, Rockwell Automation and TriNova

Polk State College celebrates the opening of a 47,000 square-foot Clear Springs Advanced Technology Center just east of Bartow, Florida.Through the generous donations of Endress+Hauser, Rockwell Automation andTriNova,Polk State College will be the new home to a $1M, state-of-the-art PTU (Process Training Unit).

The Polk State College PTU will serve as a go-to place for companies who are seeking workforce training for their employees and customers, and for students to utilize as they pursue their degree programs. The PTU combines theory and a hands-on approach to provide participants with real-world experience in a safe, working process environment.

Corporate College Director Rob Clancey beamed with pride at the January 8 ribbon cutting as he provided a short tour and talked up all the ways the new set-up will benefit the community and state — not to mention the 7,200 students it will serve annually.

“Clear Springs is one of just three advanced technology centers in Florida,” said Clancey. “There are 147 of them in the nation now and more are expected to be established. It will serve beyond the county lines into the region, and be a go-to place for companies seeking to stay on top of the game.”

The PTU is outfitted to helpstudents and customers gain hands-on experience with the types of operation, diagnostics and troubleshooting found in real-life process plants.Itfeatures the latest Endress+Hauser flow, level, temperature, pressure and analytical instrumentation in addition to the PlantPAx process control system donated by Rockwell Automation. The PlantPAx process automation system will be used in a functioning environment with field devices to train customers for operation and maintenance of process systems.In addition, it provides a venue for demonstrations of Endress+Hauser and Rockwell Automationtechnology and a regional resource for customers to obtain hands-on training in a controlled environment.

The partnership between the school, manufacturers Endress+Hauser and Rockwell Automation, and the sales and service company TriNova Inc. will help benefit the industry in Central Florida by not only offering learning opportunities for college students, but also industrial training for workers from many large companies in the area wanting to modernize their processing plants, and take advantage of new technology to develop more efficient operations.

TriNova will conduct workforce training courses at the facility in order to help companies in the Region. Over the coming years, the workforce in the state of Florida will benefit from this investment and become the model for similar advanced technology centers around the country

“The innovative approach we have taken at Polk State College is truly unique to the industry,”said Jerry Spindler, Training Manager, Customer & Field Service Training, Endress+Hauser USA. “By working alongside Polk State College and other universities to better develop workforce training opportunities for our customers, Endress+Hauser can help secure the talent pipeline and better prepare our next-generation workforce for successful careers in the field of automation – a core mission and dedicated initiative of Endress+Hauser.”

The PTU construction was part of a larger scale project to develop a $14.5M Advanced Technology Center that will generatea greater trained workforce with higher skills – all with the hopes of drivingemployers to the area.The Center will now house not only the new PTU but also high-tech degree programs such as Engineering Technology and Supply Chain Management.

The Polk State College PTU is one of seven across the U.S. with as many as fivemore projects underway to build more training facilities in order to keep up with the heightened demand for workforce training. Recognizing this trend, Endress+Hauser has made investments to become the clear leader and number one instrumentation training provider in the industry.

Photo caption:Rob Clancey, Corporate College director at Polk State, in the Process Training Unit at the Clear Springs Advanced Technology Center near Bartow.

For more information, visit www.us.endress.com/training.

For more information, visit http://www.polk.edu/news/polk-state-celebrates-opening-of-advanced-technology-center-philanthropy/.

About Endress+Hauser
Endress+Hauser is one of the world's leading suppliers of measuring devices, services and solutions for industrial process engineering. In 2012, the company group recorded sales of approx.2.3 billion dollars with more than 10,000 employees. Endress+Hauser supplies sensors, devices, systems and services for level, flow, pressure and temperature measure¬ment as well as liquid analysis and measured value recording. The company supports its customers with automa¬tion, logistical and IT services and solutions.

About Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation, Inc., the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs about 21,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.

About Polk State College
Polk State College, established in 1964, is a multi-campus institution serving over 20,000 students with Bachelor of Applied Science, Bachelor of Science, Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees, as well as a wide range of certificate and workforce training options. The College also operates three charter high schools. The serve the region’s incumbent workforce, the Polk State Corporate College delivers customized talent development solutions for 12,000 participants a year to keep their skills current with changing technology. Polk State’s advantages include small class sizes; hands-on learning; dedicated faculty; day and night classes; online options; affordable tuition; excellent financial aid; a diverse community and vibrant student life, including fine arts opportunities, clubs, and intercollegiate athletics.