A partnership between Northwest Technical College and one of the country’s largest heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration distributors is providing NTC HVAC and commercial refrigeration students hands-on learning opportunities using some of the newest, most innovative equipment in the industry.
Gustave A. Larson Company, an HVAC and commercial refrigeration supply company with 55 locations across the United States, donated over $25,000 worth of brand-new equipment including furnaces, air conditioners, coils and evaporators in September.
NTC added its HVAC and commercial refrigeration academic program in fall 2018, supported by an $185,000 grant from Bemidji’s George W. Neilson Foundation to fund equipment, faculty support and professional development.
The Larson Company previously donated $3,000 and $8,500 in equipment to the college in 2019 and 2021, respectively. The donated equipment boosts NTC’s HVAC and commercial refrigeration lab, which allows students to learn system troubleshooting and repair skills with modern heating, cooling and refrigeration equipment.
Kate Byykkonen, store manager of the company’s Fargo store, spoke of the Larson Company’s commitment to growing the trades and investing in the next generation of HVAC and commercial refrigeration technicians.
“The industry needs more trained technicians to work for our customers,” Byykkonen said. “We always like to see the trades represented further and also offer employment opportunities for NTC HVAC and refrigeration students.”
About NTC’s HVAC and Commercial Refrigeration Program
The 60-credit diploma combines courses from plumbing, heating & ventilation, electrical construction and a 15-credit block of commercial refrigeration courses. It provides training and coursework that directly correlates to business and industry requests. Sixty percent of the program’s instruction is in classrooms and forty percent occurs in hands-on training and field environments.