âOctopusâ provides new work for people with disabilities
Clients at Dale Rogers Training Center (DRTC) are keeping staff and instructors busy with requests to be assigned to the agencyâs brand new, $50,000 screen printing machine, affectionately called âThe Octopus.â Itâs the newest work option at DRTC, which includes subcontracting projects, awards manufacturing and picture frame assembly.
Screen printing is the latest entrepreneurial step designed to further the nonprofit agencyâs goal of self-sufficiency. Dale Rogers Training Center, which provides work opportunities for people with disabilities in the Oklahoma City metro, recently purchased a state-of-the-art, eight-station screen printing press.
âThe Octopusâ features eight rotating stations, with the capability of producing t-shirts, polo shirts, tote bags and other branded items. The new screen printing press was installed with the safety of DRTCâs program participants in mind; it features several auto-off sensors, as well as a safety bar and a foot pedal to advance to the next station. DRTCâs team can produce 200-300 t-shirts per hour!
âAny time we consider a new job, safety is at the forefront of our mind,â said Mark Claunch, DRTC Sales & Business Manager. âWith so many moving parts, each person who wants to work in our screen printing area is fully trained in the various components of the machine to ensure a safe working environment for all.â
Dale Rogers Training Center has already filled orders for several entities, including the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, Putnam City Public Schools and Richeyâs Grill. For ordering inquiries, please visit DRTC at 2501 N. Utah Ave., Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, email promosales@drtc.org or call 405-946-1079.
Dale Rogers Training Center (DRTC) is the oldest and largest community vocational training and employment center for people with disabilities in Oklahoma. With multiple locations in Oklahoma, DRTC trains or employs approximately 1,000 people with disabilities per year. Visit us online: DRTC.org.
View DRTCâs screen printing in action at https://youtu.be/YOaqfT42DRg.
