ENTEK Manufacturing Inc. is pleased to announce that it is making a $100,000 donation to Linn-Benton Community College (LBCC) to support the college’s technical training and machine shop programs. The donation will be made in two $50,000 increments in March and December 2008.

As a leading supplier of twin-screw extruders and components, this contribution is essential towards ENTEK achieving its aggressive sales goals, said Larry Keith, ENTEK President. “We plan to grow significantly over the next 5 years and we will need well-trained machinists to support this growth,” he said. “Our ability to attract and hire technically trained people is essential to realizing our vision.”

“LBCC is honored to have the generous support of ENTEK,” said Rita Cavin, LBCC President. “Their donation will fund the growth of our technical programs so that LBCC can meet the workforce needs of the mid Willamette Valley. Well trained employees are the lifeblood of manufacturing – they are our competitive edge.”

An important part of ENTEK’s mission is to support the local community, and the company has had a long standing partnership with LBCC. In fact, many current ENTEK employees studied there before joining the company.

“We are happy to support the college with much-needed funding and look forward to working more closely with them in the future,” said Keith. “This donation will lead to more and better training, and will help us meet our hiring needs in the future. The wages these positions provide will support local families and keep manufacturing strong in our community.”

“ENTEK’s donation will support the machine tool technology program in upgrading and replacing some aging technology to expand the capacity of the program in the areas of CNC machining and inspection technology,” said Fred Haynes, Dean of the Engineering and Industrial Division at LBCC.