Roland Sutton Scholarship Gets Another Boost

SUTTON SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT GROWS

Roland Sutton, founder of Maine Machine Products Company of South Paris, has announced the additional funding of $10,000 toward the Roland Sutton Endowed Scholarship Fund at CMCC. The fund was established in November 2009 with an initial gift of $15,000.

“We truly appreciate and recognize this support as critical to growing the precision machining technology (PMT) program at CMCC” commented Scott Knapp, president of CMCC. “From CNC equipment donations over the years to ongoing support of the apprenticeship program, our students appreciate all the Sutton family has done and continues to do for them and for the college.”
Recipients of a Roland Sutton scholarship must be enrolled in the PMT program at CMCC and are selected in their third semester of course work. The two Sutton scholarship recipients for 2010, Rob Blethen and Caryn Fredsall, graduated in May and are now full time associates at Maine Machine.

“The partnership between MMP and the college makes so much sense” commented Roland Sutton. “It gives testimony that metal trades is not a dying industry; rather a viable career path that is available and attainable right here in Oxford Hills.”
A director emeritus of the CMCC Education Foundation Board of Directors, Sutton is chairman of the board and founder of Maine Machine Products, a family-owned manufacturer of custom precision components and assemblies founded in 1956. This scholarship was established by the Sutton family in recognition of Roland Sutton’s contributions to the industry and his longstanding support of education and the PMT program at the college.

In addition to the newly formed Sutton Scholarship program, MMP has awarded 50 full scholarships to students in the PMT program to cover the cost of tuition, books and fees. This state-approved apprenticeship program, in existence since 1974, also includes two years of work experience at the company. Over half of the scholarship recipients are still employed by the company today.

The associate degree program in precision machining technology at CMCC offers broad training experience in the metal products industry. Graduates of the program are employed as machine operators, CNC machinists, tool and die makers, quality control inspectors, machine assemblers, machine tool designers, CNC programmer or field service representatives.

For more information on Maine Machine’s scholarship programs please visit their website at www.mmpco.com



Photo caption: President Knapp, at right, presents the official CMCC lamp to Roland Sutton, chairman of the board and founder of Maine Machine Products Company. Mr. Sutton has donated another $10,000 to an endowed scholarship for students in the precision machining technology program.