Our team is continually looking for ways to support the next generation of manufacturers. One area that Towmaster specifically looks to support is the next generation of skilled tradespeople. We want to support high school students who are interested in exploring a career in the skilled trades and honing their crafts.
Locally, Hutchinson High School in Hutchinson, MN offers comprehensive and impressive Technical Education courses that allow them to learn more about alternative career and education paths. Classes include Architectural Drafting, Machine Tool Operations, Robotics, Residential Construction, Welding, Woodworking and beyond. These courses offer great insight into the world of manufacturing and skilled craft, and could help students better understand their options beyond graduation.
Our team, only 20 minutes away, found an opportunity to support these students as they wrap up their technical education and step into the career fields. The Towmaster team provides a trailer to be used for the student’s big end of the year project — building a tiny house.
Every year, the students in the residential construction program at Hutchinson build a tiny house and auction it off with proceeds going back into the school program. For the past 4 years, Towmaster has offered a Custom T-9D trailer at cost for the home to be built on, providing a stable foundation and the opportunity for total mobility.
Led by Technical Education teacher Daryl Lundin, students built the frame, sheeting, installed the windows, stairs, lighting and more. From start to finish, students build a roughly 130sqft home with a lofted area that adds another 55sqft. The home, though small in size, can accommodate a bathroom, 2 bedroom spaces, a kitchen with a refrigerator, solar panels, as well as shelves built into the stairs.
“This is a great opportunity for our team to quite literally support the next generation of skilled workers in our area,” said Chris Pokornowski, Towmaster’s Trailer Division Sales Manager. “Every year it is a joy to see students bring this project to life. We’re happy to be able to contribute such a critical element of their design.”
Our team has doubled down on supporting the local Litchfield and area communities. Earlier this year, Towmaster team members designed and engineered IV stands for Meeker Memorial Hospital as they faced a shortage with the onslaught of COVID-19 patients. Our team is finding new ways to support the community at large, and the next generation of skilled tradesworkers.