Caterpillar Continues Support of Penn College Students

One of Pennsylvania College of Technology's most enduring corporate collaborations continued with a recent donation of $107,000 from the Caterpillar Foundation and its four-member coalition of dealers.

"For more than 15 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been a partner with Penn College's School of Natural Resources Management," said Mary A. Sullivan, the school's dean. "They continue to offer support in the form of scholarships, student sponsorships, training and equipment, and we anticipate a long and productive relationship with CAT."

The latest contribution brings to more than $1.75 million the total received since 1994 from the Caterpillar Excellence Fund and its various dealerships: Alban Tractor Co. Inc., Baltimore; Cleveland Brothers Equipment Co. Inc., Harrisburg; H.O. Penn Machinery Co. Inc., Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; and Ransome CAT, Bensalem.

The donation which coincided with a Caterpillar Advisory Committee meeting and the Fall Career Fair at the college comprises $57,750 for diesel technology and heavy construction equipment technology majors at the college's Earth Science Center near Allenwood and $49,250 toward the on-site power generation major taught there and in the School of Construction and Design Technologies on the main campus in Williamsport.

"We look forward to our continuing partnership with Penn College," said Ron Garber, fluids lab general manager for the Ransome Family of Companies and chair of the Caterpillar Foundation. "As we emerge from the recession of the past several years, our companies will need more technicians to fill our customers' service needs. Having just been appointed an International truck dealership and an Idealease truck leasing dealer, the need is even greater than in times past for well-trained, entry-level degreed technicians."

With diversification into other areas (his company recently became a distributor of Bandit Chippers, for instance), Garber said Ransome will continue to look to Penn College for additional technicians.

"We appreciate being able to serve on the advisory boards at the college and look forward to helping form programs that benefit students in the future," he added, referring to the wide-ranging professionals who lend their expertise to development of industry-responsive instruction at the college.

For more information about the programs offered by the School of Natural Resources Management, visit online or call 570-320-8038.

For general information about the college, visit on the Web , e-mail or call toll-free 800-367-9222.

For more information about grant-funding opportunities, faculty and staff may contact the Grants and Contracts Office at ext. 7562 or through its Web portal.