Unique Industry Training Helps Growing Company
By JOHN HUNTER
Interim Superintendent
AIR HYGIENE: Air Hygiene’s Director of Education, Tom Graham (left) works with Test Technicians, Gabe Craig (center) and Rob Gravesmill (right) in the new facility which houses a one-of-a-kind indoor stack.”
Courtesy Tulsa Tech
In January 1997, Quinn and Swanson Bierman decided to form a local business known as Air Hygiene International, Inc. The name chosen by the two brothers reflected their primary industry goal of air pollution reduction through emissions testing. Even though the company’s headquarters consisted of a back bedroom and a garage in the beginning, Air Hygiene’s mission was to utilize cutting-edge computer and instrument technology to perform at a level of excellence typically associated with larger stack testing companies.
Located in the center of the nation’s oil and gas reserves, the company began testing natural gas fired engines across Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Missouri, Colorado, and Wyoming. In its very first year, Air Hygiene tested over 200 natural gas fired engines with their unique mobile testing laboratory. By the end of 2000, the company had tested over 10,000 sources of emissions and grown from a handful of clients to over 80 corporations in 23 states, including large international turbine manufacturers, dynamic energy companies, and large-scale equipment manufacturers.
In 2011 Air Hygiene expanded their corporate headquarters, located in Broken Arrow, to a 32,000 square foot facility which includes a testing warehouse, and a training center. The new facility expands testing service capabilities with a larger, upgraded laboratory space, and houses a one-of-a-kind indoor stack in a climate controlled environment. This new facility provides a full service training center, available to both employees and customers, to further develop testing knowledge and skills.
According to Quinn Bierman, President of Air Hygiene, as the company continued to grow, so did their need for employee training, especially in the areas of safety, leadership and production.
“We began to look for someone to help with our employee training programs,” Bierman said. “After visiting with another business that encouraged us to check with Tulsa Tech, we decided to contact their Business and Industry Training Services to see what might be available.”
Chris Groden, an Industrial Coordinator with over 13 years of experience at Tulsa Tech, visited with the Air Hygiene group and began to outline the many business and industry training opportunities available.
“When a company contacts us, we meet to discuss and evaluate their needs, then develop a plan,” Groden explained. “The process is simple, quick, and extremely effective.”
After visiting with the company and evaluating their needs, Tulsa Tech began conducting safety training for Air Hygiene employees, specifically with aerial lifts, electrical safety, guidelines, and respiratory protection. In addition, various employees received Manufacturing training. Groden and Tulsa Tech were also able to help the company establish a Training for Industry Program contract, or contract, a state-funded program that assists expanding companies train new personnel.
“The training opportunities offered by Tulsa Tech are almost too good to be true,” Bierman said. “There’s such a variety of resources, flexibility, of course the pricing is great and the entire program has been incredibly easy to work with.”
These types of comments from clients are always rewarding for Groden, along with the other Industrial Coordinators, and the entire staff at Tulsa Tech’s Business and Industry Training Services.
“We customize our training to fit our client’s needs,” Groden said. “We offer on-site training, day or night; whether it’s safety training, machining, whatever; we do what we need to do in order to implement and meet our client’s needs.”
The Air Hygiene group is quick to recommend Tulsa Tech’s services to other companies with training needs, regardless of their size.
“We’ve experienced a dramatic increase in new employee performance and have been able to expand our workforce in a critical time of growth for our company,” Bierman said. “These training programs have played a key role in Air Hygiene reaching higher revenue and profit.”
If you’re currently looking for award-winning business and industry training, tuition-free classes for high school students, or would simply like to explore a new career or hobby, Tulsa Tech invites you to visit today. For more information, please call 918-828-5200 or visit us online at tulsatech.edu.
Updated 08-14-2012
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