CoorsTek, a leading global manufacturer of technical ceramics, proudly marked the official opening of its state-of-the-art CoorsTek Academy Training Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony held on Wednesday, July 16. The event brought together company leadership, state officials and industry and education partners to celebrate a major milestone in advancing Colorado’s advanced manufacturing workforce. Made possible in part by the State of Colorado’s Opportunity Now grant, the Academy is designed to prepare and upskill the next generation of manufacturing talent. The center will provide immersive, hands-on learning for individuals pursuing careers in advanced manufacturing—an industry that plays a vital role in Colorado’s economic future. “The opening of the CoorsTek Academy Training Center is the realization of a bold vision to shape the future of advanced manufacturing in Colorado,” said Irma Lockridge, Chief People and Systems Officer at CoorsTek. “This facility reflects our commitment to developing talent, fostering innovation, and investing in the people who will lead this industry forward. It's more than a training center—it's a launchpad for meaningful careers and long-term impact.” The Academy is equipped with the latest manufacturing equipment, offering participants a real-world experience as well as curriculum aligned to industry demand.
The CoorsTek Research Fellowship has brought 19 extraordinary PhD candidates to Colorado School of Mines since CoorsTek and the Coors family established it in 2014. The program has been so successful that the company and family have extended funding through 2032 with a multi-million-dollar gift. “This investment goes well beyond funding research,” said Randel Mercer, CoorsTek’s chief technology officer. “It is about building career pathways for future generations of engineers and scientists.” Technical ceramics have an enormous range of critical applications, from biomedical implants and disc brakes to smart phone sensors and jet engine turbines. CoorsTek Fellows work on scientifically interesting technical ceramics projects with many critical applications. They’re supported by Mines’ world-renowned materials science faculty. “The Fellows program has allowed CoorsTek to interact with an extraordinary group of researchers through a platform that encourages a very diverse applicant pool,” Mercer said. “Their projects have covered a broad range of topics in materials science. All have yielded great learning experiences through failures, challenges and discoveries.”
