By Alan Clipperton, Ed.D
Organizational identities—the histories and culture that make up a company’s saga—are unique. In fact, you hear us talk about ours quite a lot, given its institutional importance as it relates to our organizational calling. But sometimes, just like individuals can find and connect with a like-minded kindred spirit, organizational relationships can grow out of parallel priorities and personalities that serve as the foundation for long-term, meaningful, impact-producing partnership. In life, we call it friendship. In marketing, we call it co-branding. In business, we call it symbiotically strategic. Whatever you call it, we have it: with Komatsu.
Komatsu provides essential equipment, technologies and services for the construction, mining, forest, energy and manufacturing industries—the same industries connected to LeTourneau University’s R.G. origin story. And their values, while not faith-based in nature, were certainly aspects of R.G.’s personality, are values embedded in our way of life at The Christian Polytechnic University, and values our graduates share in spades.
First, ambition: “With a ‘challenging spirit’ and without fear of failure, we innovate and always aspire to do more.” Second, perseverance: “Even when the work is difficult, we remain committed to our promises and reliably carry them through to completion.” Third, collaboration: “Creating value comes from teamwork, inclusion, respect, diversity and a win-win approach to all relationships.” And lastly, authenticity: “To earn and maintain trust, we always act with sincerity, integrity and honesty, and communicate transparently.”
These values stem from legacy. And the legacies of both Komatsu and LeTourneau are rooted in entrepreneurship, education, invention, humanitarianism, and a deep sense of community. Komatsu’s founder, Meitaro Takeuchi, started his entrepreneurial journey in 1902 when he assumed control of the Yusenji copper mine near Komatsu City in Japan. His humanitarian vision and devotion to education led him to establish schools and fund projects to teach new trade skills to the community. Mr. Takeuchi funded and supported a department of science and engineering at Waseda University in Tokyo and eventually established an industrial school to serve the rural areas near Komatsu City.
Komatsu Ltd. was officially formed in 1921 to produce cast steel products and provide additional employment in the Komatsu City region. Mr. Takeuchi kept the company in the rural area where it was founded in order to continue the established legacy of employing, educating, and training members of the community. “That mutual commitment between company and community has been a vital part of Komatsu’s ability to weather challenges together and form lasting partnerships to meet the ever-evolving needs of society.”
Similarly, Robert Gilmore LeTourneau started his own business as a land leveler in 1920 and, after experiencing scraper equipment design flaws, launched his own engineering shop in 1921. R.G. LeTourneau, Inc., was soon founded with a larger vision to not only build earthmoving equipment but to educate and train the local community.
In 1946, R.G. and Evelyn LeTourneau founded LeTourneau Technical Institute in part to fill what they perceived as a gap in the education market, training students in both the classroom and a hands-on environment at LeTourneau Industries just down the street. R.G. LeTourneau understood the connection between strong academics, practical experience, and business, and his passion for hands-on learning continues at LeTourneau University today. The mission of LeTourneau University is to train students "to nurture Christian virtue, to develop competency and ingenuity in their professional fields, to integrate faith and work, and to serve the local and global community," and this includes preparing them for the industries they will work in after graduation, including many companies in East Texas.
The foundations of Komatsu and LeTourneau University share in a very similar organizational saga. Their founders were entrepreneurs and inventors, their companies provided employment in rural communities, and their visions included the education and training of the local workforce. Even though Mr. Takeuchi and Mr. LeTourneau had different worldviews and were more than 5,000 miles apart when they each began their journey, their paths led them to Longview, Texas, where their stories share the mutual goals of positively impacting the community and developing the local workforce.
Fast forward, more than 120 years after Komatsu’s beginning and 75 after LeTourneau University’s, and the two organizations are joining forces to develop a Yaskawa Motoman Robotics Training Center on the campus of LeTourneau University. With a target launch of Summer 2024 and intent to expand in the following years, this initiative is supported by The Longview Economic Development Corporation (LEDCO), who provided $350,000 to cover the training center’s start-up costs and equipment, including various welding robots. The Kielhorn Welding Engineering Lab will be home to the materials handling and welding robotics training, while the Cybersecurity Lab will serve as the hub for robotic simulation training.
Why this, and why now? Manufacturers in the area have expressed a great need in this area and we look forward to meeting the current needs and future needs through the robotics training center. Komatsu is one of many companies in East Texas and around the United States that is expanding automation in manufacturing. Globally, the United States is ranked 3rd for 2021 robot installations, and despite inflation, the North American robotics market is expected to grow by 6% on average each year (Executive Summary World Robotics 2022 Industrial Robots, pg. 13).
In fact, 2022 saw record-setting robot sales with a slow-down in automotive manufacturing robots in Q1 2023, but non-automotive industries’ use of robots continuing to grow (The Robot Report). The surge in robot sales resulted in 12% growth in North American robot installations in 2022 with the United States, Canada, and Mexico having the 2nd largest operational stock of industrial robots in the world after China (International Federation of Robotics).
LeTourneau University’s existing faculty familiar with robot programming, maintenance, and integration already on staff are excited by the opportunity to understand Yaskawa Motoman robots on a deep level and then take that knowledge and help develop the local East Texas workforce.
Stewarding and brokering the university’s commitment to prioritizing industry engagement is Dr. Alan Clipperton, Vice President of Global Initiatives & Industry Engagement. In his own words:
When I first moved to East Texas and started working at LeTourneau University nearly 12 years ago, I didn’t know anything about the major local industries. I soon learned that most of LeTourneau Industries was purchased by Joy Global and then Joy Global was purchased by Komatsu. For most of my time at LeTourneau University, I’ve thought of Komatsu as an employer of LeTourneau graduates and had never given much of a thought to their history. Fortunately, some of my recent projects have given me the opportunity to partner with Komatsu and more fully appreciate their own historical similarities to that of LeTourneau University.
I’ve had the opportunity to meet with many East Texas businesses over the last year and understand their needs more clearly—much like this one. As I’ve toured companies and spoken with their leadership, I’ve received a special opportunity to understand their individual stories and appreciate each company’s unique history. Of course, here at LeTourneau University, we appreciate these organizational sagas in a different way than most universities because of our historical understanding of business, innovation, technology, education, and faith. I would argue that few organizations on earth have this same distinctive perspective that seamlessly combines and understands these elements in a way that not only contribute to human flourishing, but also advance God’s Kingdom.
When Dr. Mason asked me to begin the process of organizing and centralizing LeTourneau University’s engagement with local, national, and international industries, the purpose of this initial task was to break down existing silos to better understand how LeTourneau University interacts with industry and how future opportunities for greater auxiliary revenue may be achieved. I count it an honor, joy, and privilege to start creating an infrastructure that will enhance LeTourneau University’s future opportunities to serve in this capacity.
Additionally, in early 2023, I was named the Executive Director of R.G. Research & Development (RGRD), Inc. The RGRD corporation primarily exists as an independent entity to explore and develop innovative opportunities in the education space and bring LeTourneau University owned intellectual property (IP) to market. I have loved working with other people and entities on campus such as the LeTourneau Ingenuity Center as they lawfully protect LeTourneau IP and the newly formed Center for Free Enterprise & Entrepreneurial Leadership. One of the primary purposes of this center is to mobilize School of Business students to consider the marketability of LeTourneau developed IP and create a corresponding business plan.
Many people have asked me about my new roles at LeTourneau, and I always respond by telling them that most of my role has consisted of creating infrastructure, developing processes, learning about different industries, and building relationships. In all honesty, my current role is not a lot different than when I first started at LeTourneau in January 2012. We had the dream of being a university of “global influence,” and infrastructure and processes had to be developed as we looked for relationships with international institutions and learned about each nation’s unique market. It’s really what we all do at LeTourneau University. We build off the solid foundation left by R.G. LeTourneau. We build relationships, programs, community, solutions, and even new stories. The Christian Polytechnic University played a large historical role in building and supporting local industries in 1946, and that organizational saga continues to be expanded to this day.
