Written on: October 4, 2024 by ICM
The Pennsylvania Petroleum Association (PPA) recently completed the purchase of a 2.2-acre property that features an existing 12,000+ sq ft building located in Grantville, PA. This location will ultimately serve as the future association headquarters and operating facility of the Pennsylvania Petroleum Association Technical Education Center (PPATEC).
The $2.5 million project will feature significant building renovations and customized installation of technical training equipment over the next six to nine months. The move will make PPATEC one of the largest industry-owned and operated trade schools in the Mid-Atlantic region.
“This investment will significantly expand the association’s capacity to continue to be a leader in providing this crucial need for our membership and industry stakeholders” said Ted Harris, Executive VP of PPA.
Approximately 9,000 sq ft of the existing building will be used for training-related activities to establish five live-fire labs and three classrooms in addition to numerous outdoor spaces. In total, the new property will triple the capacity of PPATEC’s current offerings and create expanded space to pursue its hands-on technical training solutions.
The lab designs will include an expansion of air conditioning, electrical, heat pump, gas-fired systems, oil-fired systems and propane appliances already offered by PPATEC. Additional lab space will be dedicated towards the buildout of new training offerings for equipment installation/replacement, light commercial and plumbing applications.
The facility will position PPATEC to offer more hands-on technical training solutions through its HVAC & Energy Professional Program.
The initial building renovations will begin in October 2024. The customized build out of the live-fire training center will take place in early 2025 with an anticipated completion date of late spring or early summer 2025.
