Paper Coating Pilot Plant opens on Parkview Campus
Oct. 7, 2002
KALAMAZOO -- The Paper Coating Pilot Plant, the first element of Western Michigan University's new engineering complex will open during a ceremony beginning at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 11.
The plant is located adjacent to WMU's new College of Engineering and Applied Sciences building on the Parkview Campus, which is located at the intersection of Parkview Avenue and Drake Road. The main engineering college building is slated to open September 2003.
Participating in the ceremony will be WMU President Elson S. Floyd; Kalamazoo Mayor Robert Jones; Dr. Daniel M. Litynski, WMU provost and vice president for academic affairs; Dr. Said AbuBakr, chairperson of the Department of Paper and Printing Science and Engineering; and Charles P. Klass, president of Klass Associates of Radnor, Pa., and a world-renowned paper coating expert.
A brief ceremony will be followed by a public open house that will feature building tours, student poster presentations and vendor trade exhibits designed to showcase companies whose products are part of the new facility. The plant will remain open to the public until 2:30 p.m.
The Paper Coating Pilot Plant houses a modern, high-speed paper coater that will be the only such equipment in North America that is not affiliated with a private company. The plant will offer industry clients a place to conduct research and also will provide hands-on learning experiences for WMU students as well as research opportunities for both faculty and students. The facility, which already is attracting attention from both national and international paper and equipment firms, is expected to begin running its first trials for industry clients in December.
Media note: Participants in the opening ceremony will be available to members of the press immediately following the ceremony. In addition, a technical briefing for business and trade media is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the plant.
Media contact: Cheryl Roland, 269 387-8400, cheryl.roland@wmich.edu