LINN  — Joe Machens Ford donated a slightly used Ford F-150 hybrid truck to State Tech on Thursday in a partnership designed to prepare students for a career in automotive.

Governor-elect Mike Kehoe, a former State Tech Regent and Ford dealer, applauded the collaboration.

“Career and technical education are so important to our state, to our country,” he said. “It’s something that I’m very passionate about, and I’m happy to see these partnerships form across the state.”

Kehoe thanked his friends at Joe Machens, noting that was the organization in which he grew up. “It’s a proud day for me to be able to see our dealership participate,” he added.

Unfortunate incidents such as train derailments and damaging weather lead to damaged vehicles being sent to the crusher. “I know Tom (Stegeman of Machens) and other dealers across the country have said, ‘Hey, let’s get that to our career and technical people.’ They’re beautiful and expensive vehicles, and there’s nothing like the ability to train real-world on a problem that these men and ladies will be able to do with this vehicle. So, the partnership makes our career and technical programs across the state great, including here at State Technical College, work. It’s great to see the industry come into these locations and make sure they understand how important their role is, and I’m very proud that Ford Motor Company would step up and do this.

“Your futures are incredibly bright,” he added to the large number of Automotive Technology and Automotive Collision Technology students in attendance. “It’s an incredible field. As a parent, you can make a lot of money, so I’m happy to tell you that it’s a great choice for you, and you’re in an institution here that is, quite frankly, the ‘Employers’ Choice.’ You hear that a lot in their advertising, but as an employer, I can tell you this school is an ‘Employers’ Choice,’ and you’ve made a great decision to be part of a great program. So again, we’re pleased to be here today. It’s very humbling to me. Having made this journey and going through the various phases, including being on this board, including being a Ford dealer, and now in the new role I will serve starting in January for the state, I want to introduce a longtime friend of mine, Tom George, who was a Ford rep for me a long time ago. His family is friends of ours, and he’s done a great job for Ford Motor Company. Quite frankly, these types of partnerships wouldn’t exist if we didn’t have a voice that understood the importance of career and technical training like Tom.”

George agreed. “Techs are really the lifeblood of what we do, and we need techs at all of our dealerships,” he said. “We deal in mechanical. Our vehicles are mechanical. They tend to break down. Techs are hard to find. We have more techs leaving the industry through retirement than we are bringing in, so it’s very important that we get techs out, especially to our Ford stores. With that comes getting the proper resources to the techs and getting vehicles like this to let them work on, which has been tough; resources are always tight. So, when the unfortunate or tragic event of a hail storm or a flood or a train derailment does happen, I think we’ve kind of figured it out. Maybe we’re slow learners, but we can get these vehicles safely from the crusher and get them out to you guys. There’s a few dents in this vehicle, but there’s nothing wrong with what’s underneath it.”

Stegeman added, “I want to take a second and thank State Tech for the work they do. They provide great employees for the state of Missouri and the dealerships I work at, and it’s awesome that we have an opportunity to give one of our newest vehicles with hybrid technology so that students can prepare to come to the workforce and really do a great job for us and our customers. We appreciate what you guys do down here, and we appreciate the partnership.”

State Tech President Dr. Shawn Strong praised the joint venture as well. “It’s partnerships like this that make (the college) grow like it can and continue to do the great things that we can do, whether it’s this program, the utility programs, where we have some awesome partnerships,” he said, recognizing Regent VP Steve Sellenriek. “There’s a great example where we have partnerships with DitchWitch, a company that provides tons of equipment. Even though the truck has a few dents and dings in it, we’re incredibly grateful that this is possible, and the students will be able to work on this for years to come.”

Automotive Technology Department Chair Chris Cox, instructors Dalton Doyle and Mitch Branson, and Automotive Collision Technology instructor Christian Record were on hand to accept the truck’s keys.

For more information on programs, visit https://statetechmo.edu.