LAS VEGAS – Sherwin-Williams gave a check for $30,000 to the MiLL training center in the company’s booth at AWFS Fair in Las Vegas.

Taking part in the ceremony were, from left, Les Smith, Kevin Bricker and Dennis Karnstein, all of Sherwin-Williams, Dean Mattson of the MiLL, Tim Kistler of the Peyton School District, and Scott Campbell of the Widefield School District.

In August, the Manufacturing Industry Learning Lab will be opening, and a special industry-education partnership is making it happen.

MiLL is the new name for the National Manufacturing Training Center, established last year in Colorado Springs by the Peyton and Widefield School Districts.

Mattson said there are currently 64 industry partners involved in the training center, including 20 that have joined since the WIC conference in April.

The 46,000 square foot training center will be used for manufacturing training for high school, college and industry. The training center has enrolled 135 students enrolled and classes are due to start August 15.

The IWF management committee and its owner groups WMMA and WMIA made a $25,000 donation that was given to the MILL from the IWF Fair.

Sherwin-Williams recently made an exclusive 10-year exclusive agreement with MiLL, and is providing finishing assets to the training center. Also, Timesavers-DuBois and Black Bros. are working to develop a cabinet finishing center.

Stiles Machinery Inc. has been a major supporter of the program, and has already supplied a number of machines to the Colorado Springs training center. Equipment is arriving from other companies this summer.