Kimble-Chase Donates Science Supplies to Oliver Springs High
Wednesday January 27, 2010
Kingston, TN - Kimble-Chase, the Rockwood manufacturer of scientific labware, has made its second donation of labware to a Roane County School - this time by donating 18 boxes of labware to Oliver Springs High School. Oliver Springs High principal Jeffrey Woods and science teacher Rhonda Kodman accepted a donation on January 21on behalf of the school and students.
"Much of the glassware we use in our science classes was donated from an Oak Ridge laboratory that closed about ten years ago" said Woods, while thanking Kimble-Chase for the donation. "With our budget and so many things to buy for the school, were not able to buy much glassware, usually just a few pieces each year."
"We are glad to be able to support the teachers and students of Oliver Springs High School," said Russell Bearden, human resource manager for Kimble-Chase's Rockwood plant. Earlier this year, when Kimble-Chase donated $500 to the Roane Alliance sponsored Teacher's Supply Closet, Bearden asked, "Do the schools need test tubes or beakers for their science classes?" From there, The Roane Alliance took the lead to help arrange the donations from Kimble-Chase to Roane County schools. Kimble-Chase's first donation of labware was earlier this month to Rockwood High School.
Kimble-Chase's manufacturing plant in Rockwood has been in operation for more than 20 years and has more than 350 employees. "We produces 1.3 billion pieces of disposal culture tube glassware annually at the Rockwood plant." according to Gene Jones, manufacturing manager at the Rockwood plant. "The supplies we're donating, test tubes, stirring rods, and a variety of beakers and cylinders, are reusable laboratory glassware made by our plants in China, Mexico and Germany."
"After almost ten years of use, the glass items we have break easily. This donation will help us a lot," said Kodman. Having learned of the plant in Rockwood, Kodman added, "It would be a worthwhile educational experience for us to be able to visit the Kimble-Chase plant, too," she added.
For teachers, the opportunity to visit the plant will likely happen this summer during the Educators in the Workplace Program, sponsored by The Roane Alliance and Innovation Valley. Kimble-Chase will be participating in this program in which educators learn about what career opportunities are available at local businesses, and what skills and attitude employers look for in their employees and job applicants. Last summer, educators visited Roane Medical Center in Harriman and Toho Tenax America in Rockwood.
"We are looking forward to visiting the Kimble-Chase plant this summer," said Kodman.
"And we are looking forward to your visit," replied Bearden, and added, "Please keep in touch with us and we can replace broken labware items over time."
The Roane Alliance is Roane County's economic development organization and consists of both public and private organizations, including the Roane County Chamber of Commerce, the Roane County Industrial Development Board and the Roane County Visitors Bureau.
