Cooper Industries recently announced the grand opening of the Cooper Technology Center located at 3413 North Sam Houston Parkway, West, Suite 212A, in Houston. This first-of-its-kind, 35,000-square-foot facility features an auditorium, conference room and multiple training rooms designed to help facilitate industry-specific education and provide hands-on demonstration of the entire line of industrial products and solutions the company offers.
The products of all eight Cooper divisions are represented in the Technology Center with dedicated displays and product in the building design itself. In addition, a replica of an industrial plant helps to complete the learning environment with over 250 of Cooper’s industrial offerings installed as they would appear in a refinery. Visitors will see products that include lighting solutions, featuring new LED technology, a wide range of fuses and distribution products, fittings, plugs and receptacles, electrical connection and control products, electrical enclosures, cable trays, along with a complete tool room. The above products represent Cooper’s unique end-to-end offering designed to meet the needs of harsh, hazardous and heavy-duty environments. Coupled with hands-on classrooms and curriculum representing Cooper’s vast expertise and global product offering, the model refinery will offer an unparalleled opportunity for end-users and distributors, along with engineering and procurement professionals to receive vital training and education. Based on the current schedule and bookings to-date, several thousand people are expected to utilize the facility each year.
The Cooper Technology Center is strategically located in Houston, which has become a hub for the oil industry and home to some of the world’s largest consulting engineering firms. Cooper Industries CEO Kirk Hachigian explains “our vision for the Cooper Technology Center came from the industry’s thirst to keep current with the latest technology and products that facilitate increased productivity, enhanced energy efficiency, and maximum safety for both workers and facilities.”
Hachigian added, “Now professionals who design and build industrial facilities can see Cooper’s entire industrial offering under one roof, from the newest lighting technologies and electrical fuses to transformers and energy automation solutions to mass notification systems.” Prior to its existence in Houston, a person would have to visit several different Cooper facilities located across the country – including Syracuse, N.Y.; Milwaukee; Atlanta; Raleigh, N.C., and more – to see the breadth of the company’s offering.
Celebrating its 175-year anniversary, the introduction of the Cooper Technology Center marks not only another innovative contribution to the customers and industries it serves, but also an appropriate culmination to another year in a legacy of innovation and leadership.
Cooper Industries is a global manufacturer with 2007 revenues of $5.9 billion, approximately 87 percent of which are from electrical products. Founded in 1833, Cooper's sustained level of success is attributable to a constant focus on innovation, evolving business practices while maintaining the highest ethical standards, and meeting customer needs. The company has eight operating divisions with leading market share positions and world-class products and brands including: Bussmann electrical and electronic fuses; Crouse-Hinds and CEAG explosion-proof electrical equipment; Halo and Metalux lighting fixtures; and Kyle and McGraw-Edison power systems products. With this broad range of products, Cooper is uniquely positioned for several long-term growth trends including the global infrastructure build-out, the need to improve the reliability and productivity of the electric grid, the demand for higher energy-efficient products and the need for improved electrical safety.
