WV Wood Technology Center (Ch)

WEST VIRGINIA WOOD TECHNOLOGY CENTER

The West Virginia Wood Technology Center
10 Eleventh Street
Elkins, WV 26241
Ph: 304-637-7500
Fax: 304-637-4902
www.wvwoodtech.com/

The West Virginia Wood Technology Center (WTC) is a specialized training facility located in Elkins, West Virginia that offers training and support services to the state’s hardwood industry. The WTC is a 10,000 sq. ft. building containing classroom space, a video conference/long distance learning center, an industrial wood working shop, two incubator bays for business, and administrative office space. It is the only facility of its kind in the United States.

The purpose of the WTC is to promote industrial and economic development in the secondary wood products industry. Over the past 15 years, the WTC has offered a variety of industrial courses, such as wood production, safety, CNC routers, moulder operation, and kiln drying of wood. The facility also serves as a place for one and two day training classes offered by the Division of Forestry and the WV Forestry Association in best practice classes for loggers, safety and CPR classes, and logger training.

In 1997, the WV Wood Technology Center partnered with Fairmont State College and implemented an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Wood Production Technologies. This provides an opportunity for individuals to further their educational skills and enhance their qualifications for future job employment in the wood products industry.

In 2003, the WV Wood Technology Center branched out to become a satellite school for teaching lumber grading at the highest level and began offering 14-week training classes in lumber grading and inspection through a partnership with the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA). The highly esteemed program is run according to the curriculum of the NHLA and represents one of only two schools in the US to offer the program.

In 2004, the WV Wood Technology Center completed a half million dollar expansion of the facility to provide additional classroom space, student areas, administrative offices, two businesses incubator offices, and a wood finishing spray booth for secondary wood products and training.

Key Programs

LUMBER GRADING
Each year, three 14-week courses in lumber grading and inspection are offered at the WTC in Elkins. In addition, a one-week short course is offered that is geared toward managers and sales personnel. The NHLA (National Hardwood Lumber Association) Sanctioned Lumber Grading Program is top-level training that the WTC is proud to offer.

OFF SITE TRAINING TO LARGE MANUFACTURERS
The WTC offers custom programs to plants in the region. Past examples are programs designed to serve the needs of a flooring manufacturer, millwork manufacturer, and cabinetry manufacturer. These are specialized classes or technical support that is designed directed with top management and held within the manufacturing plant.

IN HOUSE TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE
The WTC shop is designed for teaching, serving the community through answering questions and project assistance, and fostering the growth and continued development of the Central West Virginia Woodworkers Cooperative. The WTC Shop serves hundreds of customers each year.

Program Emphasis

Wood training services are provided through a cooperative arrangement with the Randolph County Development Authority, RESA VII and the West Virginia State Department of Education. Customized training programs for the wood industry, wood industry related economic development activities, technical support services to the industry, time-share of the production equipment in the center, and the provision of incubator space for new business concerns are all provided through this innovative program.

The Center offers a two-year Associate in Applied Science Degree in Wood Production Technology in partnership with Fairmont State College. This program includes four components: general educational courses, technical core courses, technical/occupational specialty courses, and a supervised work-based learning experience. The length of this program is 66 credit hours. In addition, a Wood Production Technician program is offered, totaling 22 credit hours. This program offers the technical/occupational classes as an option for those who do not wish to fulfill the general education requirements of the degree program. Students completing this technical training are employable in the wood manufacturing industry as production machinery technicians.

Facility

The Wood Technology Center offers its students a facility that includes classrooms, a fully networked computer lab, office space and a conference room. In addition, a 5,000 square-foot training workshop is in place equipped with the following wood production machinery:

  • Weinig Profimat 22N Moulder
  • SCMI 5′ x 10′ Sliding Panel Saw I
  • Industrial Pneumatic Cut-off Saw
  • SCMI Automatic Edgebander
  • Diehl Straightline Ripsaw
  • SCMI 21 Spindle Line Boring Machine
  • SCMI 36″ Sandya Uno Double Belt Sander
  • 8″ Jointer
  • Yates American 24″ Double Side Rough Surfacer
  • 24″ Finish Planer
  • Doucet Automatic Glue Wheel
  • 14″ x 40″ Heavy Duty Lathe
  • SCMI 24″ Bandsaw
  • 15″ Bandsaw
  • Weinig Rondamat 934 Profile Knife Grinder
  • Oscillating Spindle Sander
  • Digital Tool 5′ x 10′ Four Axis CNC Router
  • Disk/Belt Sander
  • Kern 2′ x 4′ CNC CO2 Laser-Engraver
  • Sliding Table Shaper
  • Various hand and portable power woodworking tools

This equipment is available for training and rental. The center offers technical advice and monthly skill-set seminars. Training classes can be customized to suit your individual needs.