Columbia Gas of Pa. opens training center in Beaver County
Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania now has a central location to train its 800 employees on everything from checking meters to putting out fires.
The utility on Wednesday showed off its $10 million training center — its first in the state — beside a new $10 million operations center near the Beaver Valley Mall in Center.
The operations center replaces an outdated facility in Rochester Township. The training center allows for teaching workers on the latest technology in simulators and equipment.
“We're hiring a lot of people and we're also training a lot of people,” company President Mark Kempic said. The utility brought on 187 new workers since 2014 as it looks to update much of the 7,400 miles of pipes it owns beneath the ground.
“We need to have a training center that's fit for this century, and will take us into the next century of operations,” Kempic told a crowd of more than 100 people that took tours of the facilities.
Classes begin Monday at the center, where workers can get hands-on experience with pipes, valves, regulators and appliances.
Outside, the property has an area the utility calls “Safety Town,” which contains 12 buildings and 42 valves in the ground for practicing various scenarios.
“This gives the trainees the opportunity to take what they've learned in the classroom and bring it into a real-life setting under structured supervision,” said trainer Barbara Michalik.
Columbia Gas plans to eventually open the center to firefighters and other emergency responders to participate in training sessions.
The utility, which is owned by Indiana-based NiSource, has 423,000 customers in 26 counties in Pennsylvania.
David Conti is the assistant business editor at the Tribune-Review. Reach him at 412-388-5802 or dconti@tribweb.com.
