Asmark Institute Training Complex

The Asmark Institute today announced plans to construct a new training complex in Bloomington, IL to host its Ammonia Technician Course and a series of new courses designed for grain facilities.  Bloomington, IL is centrally-located within the United States and offers several advantages, especially to the agricultural industry.  The 26,000 square foot complex is expected to host a wide variety of meetings with its unique design and capability to accommodate equipment used for scenarios and specialized hands-on training.  The Bloomington complex will also serve as the central dispatch point for the new Professional Applicator Training course.

Asmark Institute is proud to partner with the Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association (IFCA) and the Grain & Feed Association of Illinois (GFAI) on the Bloomington training complex.  IFCA will be relocating its offices to the new complex and share the 7,200 square feet of general office space with 1-2 other agricultural-based organizations.

"The Grain and Feed Association of Illinois is excited to partner with the Asmark Institute in developing a facility with hands-on safety training for the grain handling industry," according to Jeffrey D. Adkission, Executive Vice President of GFAI.  "Having well-trained employees, especially in the area of safety, has been a focus of the Association as well as the Asmark Institute for years.  We see this as the next step in training our grain handling workers to recognize hazards and learning how to prevent or eliminate them."

"The level of skill and training demonstrated by pesticide and nutrient applicators is often a determining factor in the overall prosperity of the ag retailer's business, " said Jean Payne, President of IFCA.  "A major element of IFCA's mission statement is to promote the sound stewardship and utilization of agricultural inputs.  IFCA's partnership with the Asmark Institute to bring this technologically advanced, hands-on training center to Central Illinois is a major step forward for our industry, for farmers who rely on expert applicators, and for the safety of the public and communities that expect a high level of professionalism, safety and stewardship from our industry."

 The essential elements critical to the future success of our industry are collaboration, technology and training," said Allen Summers, President of the Asmark Institute.  This partnership with IFCA and GFAI encompasses the sharing of talent, time and resources and leverages the positive effects of all who share in the goal of protecting life, property and the environment," added Summers.

 Plans are for the office space to be ready for occupancy in March 2012, with the training complex being finished in time for the National Environmental, Health & Safety School in August.