Okuma Donates CNC Machines to Community College

Okuma America Corporation (Charlotte, NC) announces the donation of a MC-V4020 CNC vertical machining center and an ES-L8II CNC Lathe to the engineering technology programs at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte. Okuma and CPCC dignitaries attended the formal announcement ceremony Tuesday, June 7, at the Advanced Technology Center on the CPCC campus.

“The lack of skilled labor is one of the biggest threats to the manufacturing industry. We’re excited to partner with CPCC in educating and training the next generation of operators, machinists, and programmers,” said Jim King, the president and chief operating officer of Okuma America. The generous gift of this equipment supports Okuma and CPCC efforts to give students hands-on machining experience, manufacturing knowledge, skills and practical experiences necessary to pursue careers in today’s high technology industries.

Several key manufacturers have recently opened facilities in North and South Carolina that require skilled labor. This trend supports the important work of CPCC to prepare individuals for rewarding careers in the manufacturing field. “Teaching students with these machine tools creates a machining graduate with a more diversified set of machining skills. This set of skills appeals to a larger portion of employers, making our graduates highly valued. Their generosity is a great benefit to our students,” said Mike Hogan, the associate dean of STEM programs at CPCC.

Okuma and CPCC share a long standing relationship dating back to the early 1980s.

www.okuma.com/americas