Hoovers donate $1M to FRCC’s manufacturing program

LONGMONT — Local philanthropists Suzanne and David Hoover will donate $1 million over a period of five years to Front Range Community College, with half of that total earmarked for the purchase of manufacturing training equipment for the college’s new Center for Integrated Manufacturing in Longmont.

The 27,000-square-foot facility, which opened earlier this year, is home to FRCC’s programs for precision machining technology, optics technology, automation technology and electronics technology. 

David Hoover is the former CEO of Ball Corp., a Broomfield can-manufacturing giant with a large aerospace division.

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In addition to the manufacturing equipment, the donation will be used to establish the Hoover Family Endowment to fund scholarships for FRCC students, according to a college news release.

“I’ve been working with FRCC for quite a long time, and have gotten to know the school and its students. I’ve been able to hear their stories and see firsthand the impact scholarships have,” David Hoover said in a prepared statement. “For students who wouldn’t have access to this type of education otherwise, it really makes a difference. FRCC fills a niche that’s different from four-year schools — one that’s very much needed.”