The Ed Coates Memorial Foundation is proud to announce the donation of a brand-new hoist and metal lathe to the Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District 42 Trades Program.

The new hoist was installed into Maple Ridge Secondary School this month, and Samuel Robertson Technical will be receiving a new metal lathe shortly; the total equipment donation is valued at $25,000. SD42’s Trades Programs allow high school students to earn post-secondary credits and certifications as well as valuable career skills prior to graduation.

“We are so proud to be able to give back to our community and students with an interest in the automotive industry,” says Candace Gottschalk, Ed Coates’ youngest daughter and Lordco’s VP of Human Resources. “My father was an innovative business leader, and our hope is to foster that same passion our family shares for this industry.”

In addition to individual equipment donations, The Ed Coates Memorial Foundation also provides post-secondary scholarships to students pursuing studies in automotive trades programs at Vancouver Community College, BCIT, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and the University of the Fraser Valley. In financial assistance alone, Lordco provides over $20,000 annually.