AGAWAM, MA—ABLE Machine Tool Sales, an award- winning Northeast Region distributor for nine top machine tool brands, recently hosted students from Westfield Technical Academy and gave them an educational tour of its showroom and technical center.
“ABLE is passionate about helping students,” said ABLE’s Manager Marcy Venne. “Having exposure to machine tools and machine shops and having good equipment in their schools helps students early on to learn occupational skills and develop a lasting interest in manufacturing technology. I especially like to encourage girls to join the industry. It was nice to see so many attend with the guys today and ask questions.”
Westfield Technical Academy focuses on integrating academic and technical achievement with career and college readiness. During their visit, ABLE’s CEO Alan Lockery presented a $5,000 donation to attending teachers Eva Fuller and Timothy Mosijchuk to support Westfield Tech’s mission of preparing students academically, technically, and professionally to meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
“Hosting students is our way of promoting Manufacturing in the USA and bringing more young people into the profession,” said Alan Lockery. I am a tech school graduate myself, and a lot of my staff are as well. The manufacturing industry needs engineers, technicians, trained machine operators and support personnel, such as trainers, administrators, and salespersons. Manufacturing is a wide open and rewarding field with opportunities ranging to the highest-level technology global manufacturing has to offer today.”
Students asked many questions as ABLE’s engineers talked about what they do and explained features of machines on the showroom floor. Staff talked to students about machine controls and precision requirements and showed hand tools used for routine service calls. Students were given a glimpse into the types of manufacturing businesses ABLE serves regionally and the products its customers make for their end user, such as automobile, airplane, military firearms, and ship building parts. Students were also interested in machine costs.
“I was lucky. After I graduated, I worked for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, where I was given the opportunity to participate in a wonderful apprenticeship program,” said Alan Lockery. “It was a springboard to where I am today. So, ABLE supports students and local schools by offering long-term paid internships; and we’ve hired a lot of tech school grads. We want these students to succeed. Giving a donation helps the school meet student needs. These kids are the future.”
ABLE Machine Tool Sales has distributed name brand OEM machine tools to customers throughout the Northeast for 36 years. ABLE provides customers with sales, training, technical support, service, parts and turnkey solutions. ABLE helps customers modernize operations and integrate the right machine tools into their system to streamline their manufacturing process, find new efficiencies, create improvements, and increase profitability.
ABLE Machine Tool Sales, located at 253 Silver Street, Agawam, MA is a member of the Association for Manufacturing Technology.
