At the annual Partners in Progress celebration in February, the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education (OkACTE) and Oklahoma Association of Technology Centers (OATC) presented awards to some of Oklahoma CareerTech’s most valued industry partners. The 27 businesses were recognized for making outstanding contributions to the improvement, promotion, development and progress of career and technology centers in Oklahoma. Pioneer Technology Center’s (PTC) choice for a Partner in Progress was K&C Manufacturing in Ponca City.“PTC, like other technology centers, works closely within our district to collaborate with business and industry partners in addressing workforce shortages. K&C Manufacturing is an excellent and engaged industry partner who works closely with us to ensure students are prepared with the skills and training necessary for the jobs in their field. K&C is a valued partner who assists PTC in sustaining program relevance and preparation for future industry trends. Partners like K&C are critical to the development of a skilled workforce, and we greatly appreciate their support of PTC’s mission,” remarked Traci Thorpe, Superintendent/CEO of Pioneer Technology Center.K&C Manufacturing Inc was founded in 1999 by Kirk Brown, President, as a tool and die shop. Brown is a graduate of the Precision Machining Program at Pioneer Tech and has maintained a constancy in his relationship with the tech center. Since the company’s beginning, it has expanded into an international custom manufacturer with a variety of products including plastic injection molding, metal fabrication and production machine work. K&C processes numerous materials including stainless steel, plastics, copper and aluminum. Also offered are an assortment of secondary operations such as anodizing, cad plating, phosphate and heat treatment. K&C serves the aerospace, agriculture, defense, hunting, marine, medical, petroleum, plumbing, veterinary and construction industries, among others. The manufacturing company was founded on the principle of collaborating with their community and industry partners.In 2014, K&C Manufacturing moved their business to Ponca City from Newkirk; the location is less than a half mile from Pioneer Technology Center’s campus. Through the years, the Business and Industry Services team at Pioneer Tech has assisted the company with management development, machine training and implementation, workforce development, and Brown has been a part of the Precision Machining Advisory Council since 2014. His oldest son is a graduate of the PTC Precision Machining program and his younger son is currently enrolled.K&C has worked with Janet Schwabe and Johnny Thornburgh on Business to Business opportunities with other manufacturers across ...
