Thermo King donation heightens diesel students’ education

Published 09.01.2022

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A donation from Motor Truck Thermo King has significantly upgraded the technology available to diesel students learning about transport refrigeration at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

An electrical generator, belts and mounting brackets for a refrigeration unit (which was also donated) will bolster students’ hands-on experience at the college’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center and add to their relevance in an industry hungry for technicians.

Motor Truck Thermo King is a sister company to Kenworth of PA, which has partnered with Penn College for almost 20 years.

Three representatives of Kenworth of Pennsylvania traveled to Pennsylvania College of Technology's Schneebeli Earth Science Center on Aug. 31 to meet firsthand with the beneficiaries of their generosity. From left are Tony Wiser, Kenworth's director of service operations; Brad R. Conklin, diesel equipment technology instructor at Penn College; Frank Miller, executive vice president; Amy Myers, human resources manager; and first-year diesel technology students T.J. Buck, of Doylestown, and Nickolette S. Breauchy, of Jersey Shore.Frank Miller, Kenworth’s executive vice president, sits on the college’s Diesel Technology Advisory Committee and responded yet again to an appeal for equipment. Since 2017, the company has delivered three refrigeration units to the college, whether by educational discount or outright gift.

“This donation has helped improve the education we can offer our students,” said Brad R. Conklin, diesel equipment technology instructor. “We are so thankful to Motor Truck Thermo King for their support.” Conklin and his colleagues use the equipment in the Truck and Trailer Refrigeration Systems class, where students learn troubleshooting and diagnostic skills related to the supply chain, reversing unit failures that could disrupt the timely delivery of food, medicine and other refrigerated essentials.

The donation represents some of the newest technology available to Thermo King – technology that graduates will continue to see when they enter the workforce – and replaces a 1999 unit in the refrigeration lab.

“It is our pleasure to help enhance the education at Penn College. The quality of the technicians who graduate with the diesel degrees is exactly what Motor Truck and Kenworth of PA need for our workforce,” Miller said.  “Our intention is to invest in the college and help keep our brand first and foremost in the minds of these students as they consider their employment opportunities.”

In addition to their equipment donations, Kenworth and Thermo King have actively recruited Penn College students for nearly a decade at Career Fairs and other networking opportunities.

“We thank Motor Truck Thermo King and Kenworth of PA for the long-standing partnership with Penn College and our diesel program,” said Elizabeth A. Biddle, senior corporate relations director. “As a valued Corporate Tomorrow Maker, they have helped to support our industry-relevant education while enhancing their brand presence with our students.”

For more about diesel technology and related majors in Penn College’s School of Engineering Technologies, call 570-327-4520.

For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free at 800-367-9222.