AIM Magazine 2016 | Page 100

“ We struggle with trying to reach out to market and find the person with the skills we are looking for ,” Swank said . “ We need to grow our own .”
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Money for school and a stable career are just the beginning of the benefits of working at Riggs CAT .
Riggs CAT holds the Arkansas dealership rights to Caterpillar equipment and generators . The company offers parts , sales , service and rental , said Richard Meshell , Vice President of Employee Development for Riggs .
Riggs started in 1927 as a family owned business . The fifth generation is now involved in running the company . Riggs CAT has 400 employees and eight locations throughout the state .
The company has highly qualified people that are the best of the best , said Les Swank , Northwest Regional Manager . Those people include sales representatives , parts representatives and mechanics , also called technicians .
“ We have people that come in as a technician and move to other spots ,” Meshell said . “ They move to rental , product support , sales .”
Those mechanics need special training . “ We work only on Caterpillar equipment and generators ,” Swank explained .
Finding mechanics has become more difficult as the company grows . In the last four years , the Springdale office has grown from 23 to 39 employees .
One method of growing their own is by sending new high school graduates to a Caterpillar school in Okmulgee , Okla ., run by Oklahoma State University .
“ It ’ s for working on CAT equipment only ,” Swank said . “ We pay a fee to send students there .”
The company looks for high school seniors who are good in math and science and interested in mechanics , Meshell said . The school runs in eight week cycles . You have classes for eight weeks , work at the local dealership for eight weeks , and then go back to classes . It is a two year program .
Technician Colby Willis graduated from the program in 2010 . At the end of his schooling , he ended up with an Associate of Applied Science degree and a job . “ It gives you a good base of technology ,” Willis said .
The program starts in the fall , so students work at the company through the summer after their high school graduation .
The ones that finish the classes come in ready to work at a very good starting wage , Swank added .
Riggs CAT also offers a tuition reimbursement plan for employees in the program . How much money they receive is based on their grade point average .
If the student keeps a 3.5 GPA , they would get $ 1,400 per semester in reimbursement . At a 3.0 grade point , the student would receive $ 1000 per semester