Lincoln Electric recently acquired Baker Industries and related assets, and formed a partnership with the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) as part of a multi-faceted plan to raise welding education standards.
Baker is a privately held Detroit MI-based provider of custom tooling, parts and fixtures, primarily serving automotive and aerospace markets. The company has extensive in-house design and manufacturing capabilities, including machining, fabricating, assembly and additive manufacturing Lincoln said. Their operations adhere to stringent aerospace quality management standards and are AS9100D certified and Nadcap accredited.
Lincoln Electrics's new metal additive manufacturing service will launch in mid-2019, providing large scale metal printing of industrial parts, tooling and prototypes for customers.
“We are pleased to welcome Baker Industries to Lincoln Electric and to our automation portfolio’s new additive manufacturing platform,” said Christopher L. Mapes, chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Additive manufacturing is a key strategic growth area in automation, and Baker’s expertise and capabilities will assist in scaling our additive manufacturing services and expand our presence in attractive aerospace and automotive end markets.”
Lincoln Electric said its automation revenue is approximately $500 million in annualized sales with the addition of Baker Industries. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The newly approved partnership with NC3 is intended to improve welding education nationwide.
NC3 is a nonprofit network of education providers and corporations focused on bridging the gap between education and industry workforce needs. The new partnership with Lincoln Electric gives NC3 the authorization to administer Lincoln Electric’s Education Partnerships Schools (LEEPS) program and offer new certifications to provide community colleges, technical schools and other post-secondary trade schools with a complete suite of portable, stackable national welding certifications.
As part of the agreement, NC3 will develop and issue the LEEPS program’s world-class industry certifications, ensuring strong national standards for welding instructor training, classroom curriculum, competency labs, qualification exams and digital certification issuance. Lincoln Electric will ensure the certifications are in alignment with standards set by the American Welding Society, a recognized authority in welding education and training.
The plan also calls for establishing a series of national-standard Lincoln Electric training centers across the country as extensions of Lincoln Electric’s Welding Technology & Training Center located in Cleveland, Ohio.
“We are excited to have this partnership with NC3,” said Jason Scales, business manager for Lincoln Electric’s education products and services. “This will provide us with an incredible platform to share Lincoln Electric’s more than 100 years worth of knowledge in welding training, research and instruction with these institutions and redefine what a quality welding education program should look like.”
