Mike McGuire announced he has donated his collection of fastener articles and books to the new cold forging training center at Rock Valley College.

In August, the Rockford, IL, college announced a program to expand vocation training (see FIN September 6, 2016).

After a Nakashimada cold header was donated to the college, RVC started a two-year, $32 million redevelopment of a new location, which can handle the weight of the 10-ton machine. A long-idle portion of the Colman Village industrial center will house classroom and hands-on training for cold forging.

In exchange for a $1-per-rent from the City of Rockford, the college will provide tuition discounts for 10 unemployed individuals.

McGuire is co-founder of the National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo and was founder and publisher of American Fastener Journal. He is third generation in the fastener industry and began his career in a fastener distributorship. He retired from the industry after selling the magazine to Tom Massar and NIFMSE to Emerald Industries in 2015.

McGuire credited Rock Valley College and Rockford fastener manufacturers for seeking skills training to replace retirees.

More than 8,000 people in the three-county region are employed in metal and plastic production. The region 100-miles west of Chicago has a population of 340,000.

Manufacturers report they need replacements for retiring Baby Boomers.

“Rock Valley College along with several local fastener manufacturers are trying to close this gap and return Rockford, IL, back to being one in the top 10 metropolitan fastener producing area in America,” McGuire said.

Entry-level forging machine setters and operators can earn $17.50 an hour ($37,089 a year) and experienced workers earn $26.44 an hour ($54,986 a year), according to a 2015 state occupational wage survey of the region.

The college reports 7,400 for-credit students and 25,000+ non-credit students.

The fastener library covers standards, dimensions, technical data, engineering and fastening applications.  Authors include Jim Speck, Julius Soled, John Bickford, Joseph Shigley, Pat Rapp, Dr. Lou Raymond, Guy Avellon, Thomas Doppke and Robert Parmley.

The collection also includes the Industrial Fastener Institute standards books and 48 fastener training posters.

McGuire encouraged the industry to donate to the manufacturing training center.

“I hope that this donation is just a start and others in the fastener industry can contribute other materials to help build and strengthen this program and our fastener industry,” McGuire said. Web: RockValleyCollege.edu