DCTC Foundation receives $45,500 for HCET program
Ziegler CAT, one of the largest and most successful Caterpillar dealers in the U.S., donated $22,750 to the DCTC Foundation for student scholarships, instructional equipment, faculty development, course upgrades and recruitment efforts in the Heavy Construction Equipment Technology program at Dakota County Technical College. The Caterpillar Foundation Dealer Excellence Fund matched the grant, bringing the total donation to $45,500. Ziegler and the Caterpillar Foundation have a longstanding history of supporting the HCET program through generous donations to the DCTC Foundation.
“Through its Dealer Excellence Fund Program, the Caterpillar Foundation works with Caterpillar dealers across the nation to help colleges train highly-skilled technicians for the heavy equipment industry,” said Tharan Leopold, executive director of the DCTC Foundation. “When a CAT dealer makes a donation to support a program, the Caterpillar Foundation matches that donation with the goal to continue developing topflight curricula and educational opportunities. The idea is to create more high-paying technical jobs for graduates while augmenting the technician talent pool.”
According to ISEEK, Minnesota’s comprehensive career, education and job resource, the average pay for heavy construction equipment techs in Minnesota is more than $25 an hour. Top earners make nearly $32 an hour. Between 2012 and 2022, the demand for heavy equipment techs in the seven-county metro area is expected to grow 12.3 percent, which is above the statewide median.
Major employers include:
- Heavy equipment dealers
- Federal, state and local government agencies
- Highway, street and bridge construction companies
Top photo: (left to right) DCTC Interim Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Mike Opp, HCET Instructor Roger Gartner, DCTC Foundation Board Chair Bob Erickson, DCTC Foundation Executive Director Tharan Leopold, Ziegler CAT Human Resource Technical Recruiter Paul Anderson, HCET Instructor Joel Fogarty, DCTC Interim President and IHCC President Tim Wynes, DCTC Foundation Board Member Scott Manwarren, Ziegler CAT Employee and Organizational Development Manager Ralph Dupslaff
About Ziegler CAT…
With 21 locations in Minnesota and Iowa, Ziegler is one of the largest Cat dealers in North America. Ziegler sells and services Cat construction, paving, forestry, and mining equipment, as well as Cat trucks, generators, and industrial engines. In the agricultural market, Ziegler represents Challenger, AGCO application, and Lexion machinery in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Missouri. — Courtesy of the Ziegler CAT website
About the Caterpillar Foundation…
Making Sustainable Progress Possible
Since 1952, The Caterpillar Foundation has been dedicated to transforming lives in the communities where we live and work around the world. We champion programs that support education, environment and emergency relief.
Our mission is to turn the spiral of poverty into a path to prosperity by investing in those proven to yield the best results—women and girls.
Our strategic areas of focus are:
- Education
- Environment
- Emergency Relief
— Courtesy of the Caterpillar Foundation website
For more information about Heavy Construction Equipment Technology at DCTC, contact:
- Daniel Ruzicka
Heavy Construction Equipment Technology Instructor
651-423-8481 - Roger Gartner
Heavy Construction Equipment Technology Instructor
651-423-8337
For more information about the DCTC Foundation, contact:
- Tharan Leopold
Executive Director of Foundation and Alumni
651-423-8293
