Lorain County JVS Collision Repair students are getting ahead of the game in their career tech field thanks to the NAPA Auto Parts Elyria store.
Rich Farmer, owner of the Elyria NAPA Auto Parts store, helped get a new waterborne paint system installed in the Collision Repair career tech lab.
Being a product of a career tech school himself, Farmer wanted to visit Lorain County JVS and learn more about their programs and see how to build on their partnership.
“I’ve been wanting to get a more modern paint system into my program,” shared Lonnie Higey, Lorain County JVS Collision Repair instructor. “I’m thankful to NAPA for making this happen.”
“When I visited the program and learned of their need, I worked with my suppliers to provide the Collision Repair program with the latest and greatest waterborne paint program there is,” said Farmer.
According to Farmer, this system is so new that many body shops don’t have this technology yet, so the students at Lorain County JVS are ahead of the game.
“The waterborne paint system that was installed has scales and computers for measuring and this system shows the students how to mix the paint to get it to the exact amount, so there is minimal waste,” explained Farmer.
“Being a waterborne product, it is much better for the environment than the former chemical base system, said Farmer. “Now you have ease of disposal, ease of cleaning up, safety with not having to breathe in any chemicals, so it is a pretty cool product.”
Junior and senior students learned the computer and mixing systems, how to prepare a panel to get it ready to be sprayed, how to put a sealer down to get it to bond to the panel, and then apply the final finish coat.