As attendees and vendors were saying their goodbyes at the end of Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week last month in Las Vegas, shop equipment provider American Forge & Foundry was trying to decide what to do with the heavy-duty lifting products
and presses it had brought over from the East Coast.

As heavy and freight-intensive as the equipment was, National Sales Manager Gary Tripp thought it made more sense to donate the equipment to local vocational schools in the area. Using the company's customer contacts in the area, AFF got in touch with the appropriate folks at the Clark County School District.

Rather than having to repackage the equipment, which was sent in one-way boxes, AFF ended up donated the equipment to several vocational technician schools in Clark County, including one that specializes in diesels, Tripp said. For AFF, giving the equipment to a worthy cause made more sense than shipping it back to its Guilderland Center, N.Y. headquarters. By the time the equipment made it back to the East Coast, it might not be in pristine condition for selling, Tripp added.

The vocational schools will be using the equipment for lifting and servicing vehicles.

AFF first started donating equipment to schools about six years ago following the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo. Following last year's HDAW in Florida, the company donated the products to schools in Orange County, Fla.

In light of AFF's efforts, Tripp expressed the importance of getting technical schools involved in heavy-duty aftermarket events, such as HDAW. He believes HDAW should try to campaign in local areas and welcome the educational aspects of the show.