March 22, 2022—According to a company press release, I-CAR'S 48,000-square-foot Chicago Technical Center (CTC) in Vernon Hills, Ill., continues toward completion.
“I-CAR’s mission is to deliver increasingly accessible, on-demand and relevant education, knowledge, services and solutions for the collision repair inter-industry, and our new tech center represents a truly innovative, leading and progressive approach to our mission-centric work that will benefit all industry segments,” I-CAR CEO and President John Van Alstyne says in the release.
Slated to open later this year, the CTC expands on the company's Appleton, Wisc., technical center, which is also slated for renovation in 2022. Both the CTC and Appleton projects will share a consistent look and reflect enhancements designed to improve the quality, safety and health of the environments for I-CAR staff and visitors.
“The CTC will offer enhanced levels of accessibility for industry partners and learners, with dedicated areas for ADAS, electric/hybrid vehicles, welding and repair procedure research, as well our research into rapidly growing and emerging technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality," Jeff Peevy, I-CAR Vice President, Technical Products, Programs and Services, says in the release.
CTC’s offerings will include The Learning Design Studio, showcasing the latest in educational technologies and innovations to improve the learner experience; a specialized “Flex Lab” will accommodate customized industry research and training needs; and controlled environment variations for performing ADAS calibrations enabling comprehensive research. Six EV charging stations are also featured.
Jim Guthrie, President, Car Crafters, and Vice Chair, I-CAR Board of Directors, notes the CTC represents a massive collaboration with inter-industry partners to reimagine the future of training solutions amid one of the most transformative eras of our history.
"This is an investment by I-CAR in the industry’s future to drive us all forward and I couldn’t be more proud of this effort," he says in the release.