Jonesboro Manufacturer Endows Arkansas State Engineering School With $200,000 Scholarship
by March 16, 2015 12:14 pm 139 views
One of Arkansas’ largest manufacturers has announced a $200,000 endowment to the College of Engineering at Arkansas State University that will be designated for scholarships to assist talented engineering majors.
Jonesboro-based Hytrol Conveyor Company Inc., which designs and manufactures advanced conveyor systems and controls, said the endowed engineering scholarship will provide a full-tuition scholarship each year to a mechanical or electrical engineering major.
“We are looking to invest in our future as well as invest in the future for Arkansas State and its students,” said Chris Glenn, Hytrol’s vice president of manufacturing and engineering operations. “Over half of our engineers are Arkansas State graduates.”
“Our headquarters is here in Jonesboro,” Glenn continued, emphasizing the company’s positive impact on the region. “We have over 830 employees here.”
Dr. Paul Mixon, interim dean of the Arkansas State College of Engineering, also pointed out the value of the close relationship between the Jonesboro-based international company and the university.
“We believe Hytrol employs more graduates from the College of Engineering than any other single private employer,” Mixon said. He added that Arkansas State’s goal is to increase the number of engineering graduates by 25 percent over the next 10 years to help meet employers’ needs in the Mid-South region.
Hytrol serves customers domestically and globally through 63 integration partners in the U.S., as well as 22 international partners in 13 countries. The company relocated to Jonesboro in 1962 with 26 employees in a 27,000 square foot facility. Today, the company operates a manufacturing facility covering more than 500,000 square feet where over 50 conveyor models are manufactured in more than 2,400 sizes.