NEWS
PIT Installs New Fronius iWave 300s at Alamance Community College
Alamance Community College, located in Graham, NC, has partnered with PIT to install the latest in advanced welding technology at their state-of-the art shop. The second-phase of the upgrade to Fronius iWave 300 multi-process machines was installed February 10th, following installation of the first eight systems in April 2025.
What led Alamance CC to choose Fronius for their welding lab upgrade? Fronius welding systems are intuitively designed to perform reliably in both educational and industrial applications, and thanks to their advanced inverter technology, provide significant savings on electrical consumption over competing brands. Many top manufacturers in the southeast also use Fronius equipment - Siemens, Egger, and BMW to name a few - so it makes sense to train students with the equipment they're likely to use in the field.
PIT, a regional distributor for Fronius USA, was also a logical partner of choice for Alamance CC. An Authorized Service and Repair Center for Fronius, PIT also uses Fronius Fortis and iWave systems in it's own education and testing lab in Mooresville, NC. Through its partnership with APT Manufacturing Solutions and FANUC, PIT also offers automated welding solutions with Fronius power sources to industrial and educational partners.
Contact Trent Schanen at trent.schanen@visitpit.com to learn more about Fronius welding systems and to schedule your demo at your facility or at PIT.
AWS Scholarship Applications Close March 1st
Looking for a way to boost your welding career? The American Welding Society has scholarships available for those enrolled in welding certificate, diploma, and degree programs! The deadline to apply for many of these scholarships is March 1st, so be sure to take advantage of the wonderful opportunity provided by the AWS Foundation.
Join Us! AWS Charlotte Section Event + EDGE Legacy March 13th
The AWS Charlotte Section has partnered with EDGE Welding Supplies for an Open House event on Friday, March 13th from 11:30am - 6:30pm. The event is free of charge, so be sure to stop by and enjoy food, fellowship and more!
PIT Offers Day Time Welding Classes!!
Mooresville, N.C. - October 3, 2019
Beginning in January 2020, PIT will begin offering daytime welding classes to complement its current evening schedule. Courses will be identical to the evening PWU-100 and PWU-200 sessions, but will be condensed into an eight-week timeframe as classes will be held Monday-Friday from 12:30pm – 4:30pm. The daytime courses will alternate between PWU-100 and PWU-200, with new sessions beginning every eight weeks.
Our first daytime class will be Pit Weld U – 100, which will begin on January 6, 2020 and conclude on February 28, 2020, while our the first daytime Pit Weld U – 200 course will begin March 2, 2020 and conclude on April 24, 2020. Classes are limited to twelve students each.
For additional information, please contact:
Trent Schanen
Director of Event Logistics & Welding School Operations
Performance Instruction & Training (PIT)
156 Byers Creek Road
Mooresville, NC 28117
T 704.799.3869 ext. 115
PIT Offers Beginning TIG Welding Workshop!!
PIT Partners with DOG Fabrication the Furick Cup to provide Beginning Welding Workshop
Mooresville, N.C. - June 14, 2019
PIT Instruction and Training is partnering to provide a beginning TIG welding workshop in conjunction with DOG Fabrication and and the Furick Cup for those interested in learning the basics of the art of welding. "This is a great opportunity for the beginning enthusiast, artist or just generally interested practitioner to get their first opportunity to learn how to TIG weld," remarked Trent Schanen, Director of PIT Instruction and Training's Pit Weld U program.
We are offering this as a fun way to get folks interested in welding and to hopefully help them feel more comfortable performing their own personal welding projects," added Schanen.
The PIT Instruction and Training Pit Weld U. program is licensed by the State of North Carolina Community College System ("The North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges is not an accrediting agency"), and offers both training and certification classes for professional welders.
PIT and NC State University IES, Team to Educate!!
PIT's LEAN PIT STOP PROGRAM OFFERED BY NC STATE TO CORPORATE INDIVIDUALS / GROUPS
Mooresville, N.C. - April 25, 2019
PIT Instruction and Training and NC State's Industry Expansion Solutions are once again offering PIT's "Lean Performance U." program to corporate and industrial individuals and groups. Lean Performance U. is a program created by PIT which incorporates modern coaching principals utilized for improving a NASCAR® pit crew's performance. Attendees are introduced to pit crew coaching principles and then taught to utilize those techniques while performing choreographed pit stops on genuine race cars.
"Pit stops require many of the same disciplines required in industry", said Ben Cook, Director of Programming at PIT. "Communication, tool organization, ergonomic work areas, safety and such are essential to any lean operation. We draw parallels between PIT Lean and Corporate Lean in a very fun and competitive way that helps the lessons stick with those that experience it".
Bob Plott, General Manager of PIT Instruction and Training, added, "Companies unable to send complete groups often still offer educational opportunities to their individual employees. We feel this collaboration with NC State IES is a great solution for that individual or small group seeking to attend our lean experience".
Rounding out the pit crew educational experience, NC State's IES team will infuse industrial education topics throughout the program to reinforce the lessons learned in the pits.
"Learning by pitting race cars, combined with lunch and a race shop tour, what a better way to complete a structured educational opportunity" concluded Plott. "We just need folks to sign up".
PIT INSTRUCTION AND TRAINING BECOMES AWS ACCREDITED TESTING FACILITY FOR WELDERS
Mooresville, N.C. - April --, 2018
PIT Instruction & Training, LLC (PIT) is proud to announce that it has become an Accredited Testing Facility for the American Welding Society (AWS) and is now offering a Certified Welder program in addition to its welding and pit crew training classes. The elite status allows PIT to be included as one of only a few locations in the state of North Carolina, and one of less than 150 nationwide with an AWS Certified Welder program, setting PIT apart from other institutions who offer welding programs, but no option for certification with the AWS.
The Certified Welder program is designed for individuals who wish to obtain certification under specific American Welding Society code, giving added credibility to their abilities as a professional welder and the opportunity to quickly advance their welding career. Testing dates are scheduled monthly for those who wish to achieve their AWS DX.X certification at PIT Instruction & Training. AWS Certification testing is available to anyone who already has training and experience as a welder, as well as graduates of PIT’s well regarded Pit Weld U Powered by Miller Welders welding program.
Furthermore, companies who wish to certify, or maintain certification for their staff under American Welding Society code can do so through PIT’s Certified Welder program. Whether current staff members are in need of certification, or potential new-hires that are required to obtain certification to gain employment, PIT can help setup a fully customized program to fit your specific needs. Testing can also be done on-site to reduce employee downtime as needed.
Corporate News
EASTMAN CHEMICAL SETS NEW CORPORATE PIT STOP RECORD
February 22, 2018
Eastman Chemical came out today with pit guns blazing and set a new Lean Performance U. pit stop record with a time of 27.92 seconds. The previous time of 28.32 seconds was set by the U.S. Army Rangers back in 2014.
"The record's stood for a long time, but these guys came out and really had a great pit stop to steal it away from the Army," remarked Bob Plott, General Manager of Pit Instruction and Training.
The team that took the winning time had elusively named themselves the "Fat Bast@#ds", yet moved like anything but what their tricky moniker implied. Although their day had started off slow, with each round of pit stops the team honed their skill sets, and came out full throttle in the final round.
"It's great", exclaimed Corporate Program Manager Ben Cook, "Having a new record always makes other companies eager to take on the challenge of being the fastest corporate crew. We'll just have to wait and see who's got what it takes to knock these guys off center podium. It looks like the race is on again."
Pit Instruction & Training Becomes a Licensed School in North Carolina
"The North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges is not an accrediting agency".
Performance Instruction and Training (PIT), a pit crew and corporate training center based in Mooresville, N.C. is proud to announce that they have received official licensing through the state of North Carolina's Board of Community Colleges. PIT General manager Bob Plott made the announcement today and issued the following statement:
"We are excited to receive official state licensing for our program in that it officially validates the success that we have enjoyed as a company for over a decade. Moreover, the licensing provides additional scholarship financial options and protection for our students whom we feel are the future of the sport. Since its inception in 2002, PIT has trained students 99 classes from 48 states and four foreign countries at our state of art 10 million dollar training facility. Registration is now open for our landmark 100th class which begins April 28th, 2014. Our ownership (Tom DeLoach and Jeff Hammond), internal staff and our coaches are second to none. Most PIT coaches hold advanced college degrees in training related disciplines, and all of them have worked, or are currently working for top NASCAR teams as pit crew athletes or coaches. More than 70 of our graduates have won individual or team championships at the highest levels of NASCAR completion, at least three of our graduates are coaches at the Cup level, and almost 70%* of our graduates are hired for jobs in the racing industry. We are proud of these past and present accomplishments, and prouder still of the bright future ahead of us that has been further enhanced by this state acknowledgement."
* based on internal records and official yearly team rosters throughout the racing industry