Siplast, a Standard Industries company, recently welcomed 11th- and 12th-grade students from Arkadelphia High School to its state-of-the-art RISE Center in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The visit offered students a behind-the-scenes look at the company’s innovative research and manufacturing processes, along with hands-on learning and exposure to career opportunities available in their hometown.

 The RISE Center—short for Research, Innovate, Support and Evolve—specializes in testing Siplast’s premium roofing and waterproofing systems while providing educational experiences in roofing science. During the visit, Siplast engineers led students through the 12,500-square-foot facility and engaged them in immersive demonstrations of the site’s advanced equipment, including a wind-pressure testing unit with a 10,000-pound hoist and a 2-/4-inch high-velocity hail cannon. This demonstration provided students with firsthand experience in a lab setting and taught them about the chemistry, physics and engineering principles behind Siplast’s solutions and systems.

 In addition to the demonstration, the visit highlighted the wide range of career paths available at Siplast, from engineering and biology to sales and marketing. “With more than 100 employees based in Arkadelphia, Siplast is deeply invested in the local workforce and is committed to nurturing future talent within the community,” said Mick Handloser, National Training Development Manager at Siplast. “Through this experience, students learned from Siplast employees about the company’s history, notable projects, and the many roles they may not have previously considered as career options.”

“It was a great experience seeing all that Siplast has to offer,” said Trace Young, a Junior at Arkadelphia High School. “It was eye-opening to learn about the different career opportunities within the company. The staff left the impression that they were a family and not just coworkers. You could tell they enjoyed their jobs and were passionate about them.”

 The educational visit is part of Siplast’s ongoing efforts to support local youth and inspire the next generation of professionals in the roofing and building materials industry.  To learn more about Siplast and its high-performance product lines, visit www.siplast.com.