Northwest Technical Institute in Springdale recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and the opening of a new ammonia refrigeration and boiler training facility.
The school opened in 1975 as Northwest Vo-Tech. The $3.5 million refrigeration facility is 19,800 square feet and one of just four of its kind in the country, school officials said.
“As a proud Arkansas native and stock supporter of industrial education, it’s tough for me to express how proud I am of the fact that NWTI will house one of the top ammonia refrigeration training sites in the Western Hemisphere,” said Aaron Wright, NWTI board chair.
NWTI’s Industrial Maintenance and Ammonia Refrigeration Technology training programs provide hands-on, real-world instruction to help businesses improve safety, enhance efficiency and maintain compliance with industry regulations, according to the school’s website.
Mike Rogers, the state’s chief workforce officer and a former senior director of maintenance and refrigeration for Tyson Foods, spoke at the event about how the school impacted his life.
“My dad came to this school to change his vocation, couldn’t make a living on the farm and ended up coming to NWTI,” he said. “And it changed my trajectory, because I grew up with blue blood and blue collar, knowing the work, the requirements, the ethics, the calluses and not to be looked down on because you know how to fix something.”
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