4/22/2011 11:03:00 AM
NEWS BRIEFS
Atlantic Fasteners Partners with Vocational School

Putnam students Anibal Salgado, left, and Lizbeth Santos review the new bar coded fastener storage system donated to the school’s MachineTechnology Department by Atlantic Fasteners.

Putnam students Anibal Salgado, left, and Lizbeth Santos review the new bar coded fastener storage system donated to the school’s MachineTechnology Department by Atlantic Fasteners.

Atlantic Fasteners has donated a fastener stocking area to Putnam Vocational Technical High School.

The equipment and fasteners, valued at over $1,050, will be used by the school’s Machine Technology Department. A 72-bin cabinet contains 55 varieties of fasteners, including inch and metric socket hex cap screws, washers, hex nuts and machine screws. 
 

Atlantic Fasteners president Tony Peterson has pledged to keep the bins stocked at no charge. The company is now discussing additional ways to support the school, including educating students about the fastener distribution business, different grades of fasteners and torque ratings and other characteristics of each grade.
 

“We wanted to pitch in when we learned Putnam’s Machine Tech Department was struggling with fastener supply shortages,” said Peterson. “We toured the facility, witnessed the enthusiasm of the students, and were driven to help, especially when we learned that they sometimes waited weeks for requisitioned fasteners.”
 

The school expressed gratitude for the partnership.
 

“We’re very thankful to Atlantic Fasteners for their generosity and support,” said Ron Messier, Putnam’s Machine Technology Department chair. “Our shop goes through fasteners quickly. The money and time spent acquiring them add up. Now we can focus less on budgets and purchasing and more on training.” 

“Putnam Vocational is a tremendous resource for the local business community,” said York Mayo, community volunteer and CEO of The Roger L. Putnam Technical Fund Inc. “Seasoned employees in industry eventually retire. Who will fill those specialized positions? Both those companies and students benefit from working together to create a well-trained workforce. We’re glad businesses such as Atlantic Fasteners understand and support that relationship.”

Roger L. Putnam Technical Fund Raises $800,000

Founded by several private citizens, the fund works to strengthen the academic, technical, and employment skills of Putnam students. What began as a fundraising initiative has become an active organization committed to providing resources and support for the ever-changing needs of the school. 
 

In addition to raising $800,000 in pledges and equipment in the past two years, the foundation helped create several programs to enhance the students’ training and employment opportunities. That includes guided tours for 170 local companies led by the Putnam students to showcase the school’s employable, trained workforce in 19 different trades. 

The team also works to enhance the school’s curriculum. They partner with business leaders from diverse trades to gain insights on the latest industry developments, and assist Putnam’s educators to implement the recommended upgrades.

The foundation is also making great strides with on-the-job training and job placement. They’ve grown the number of co-ops and internship opportunities from 60 to 200 in the past year. 

Visit rlptechfund.org for more information about The Roger L. Putnam Technical Fund, or contact York Mayo at york.mayo@rlptechfund.org.
 

Atlantic Fasteners is a 30-year-old, 100% employee-owned hardware supplier serving commercial and aerospace/military markets. The company holds AS9120 and ISO 9001:2008 certifications. They have been pre-qualified to serve industry leaders such as Raytheon Missile Systems, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. Web: atlanticfasteners.com or afaero.com  ©2011 GlobalFastenerNews.com

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