I Felt the Pride

Last week I attended a press event for Hyundai WIA during IMTS that I thought was going to be a review of a new machine the company was debuting at the show, but instead was witness to a generous technology donation to a deserving school. However, what I will remember most from that 15-minute event was the pride and enthusiasm gleaming from the faces of each student and teacher in attendance.

Hyundai WIA donated its latest generation VMC, a F400 Value Master, Vertical Machining Center, to the Humboldt Park Vocational Education Center (HPVEC) of City Colleges of Chicago.

Zin Young Hong, Senior Vice President of Hyundai WIA’s Machine Tool Division was there to present the F400 Value Master machine to the administrative board of HPVEC. 

According to Dave Barber, Marketing Manager, Hyundai WIA America, “Hyundai WIA’s donation of an F400VM VMC to Humboldt Park Vocational Education Center (HPVEC) of the City Colleges of Chicago is only the first step in the company’s long-term efforts to strengthen manufacturing education in the Chicago area. Given the IMTS show, the mismatch between people looking for work and companies looking to fill technical positions, coupled with the fact that educational outreach to local manufacturers will be a major focus of Hyundai WIA’s new technical center, we thought this donation would be a great opportunity to start advancing on some of the company’s larger goals here in Chicago.”

James Wall, Executive Director, NIMS stated that “Humboldt Park Vocational Education Center (HPVEC) of Wilbur Wright College has been a leader in terms of NIMS credentialing within the City of Chicago.  Since 2007 more than 370 students have been awarded NIMS certifications. More impressive is the fact that approximately 150 CNC certifications have been earned by HPVEC students within the past 12 months. The addition of the Hyundai WIA CNC Vertical Machining Center will reinforce the ability of the HPVEC's CNC training program to train to industry standards, ultimately contributing to the legacy and advancement of a globally competitive workforce.”

The machine is one of two models in the company’s new Value Master Series VMCs, a line that features high-performance options such as a 30-tool swing-arm ATC, through-spindle coolant, Big Plus tooling, rigid tapping, larger Y-axis travels, faster rapids and more. The idea is to eliminate the need for shops to sacrifice performance for price, Mr. Barber says.

Humboldt Park Vocational Education Center (HPVEC) was one of 43 schools who applied to receive the machine donation prior to IMTS. According to the company, it was chosen based on a detailed assessment of each school’s accreditation, curriculum, number of students and current list of equipment, among other factors.

In addition, Mr. Ki Hyo Park, President of Hyundai WIA America, formally announced Hyundai WIA’s plans to construct its Midwestern Technology Center in the Chicago area, which will serve the region’s manufacturing community.

In Photo: standing in front of the Hyundai WIA F400VM, Left to Right:
Bruce Braker, Director of the Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council; James Wall, Executive Director, National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS); Ki Hyo Park, President of Hyundai WIA America; Greg Jones, Vice President of Smartforce Development at AMT; Jim Palos, President of City Colleges of Chicago, Wilbur Wright; Zin Young Hong, Senior Vice President of Hyundai WIA Machine Tool Division.