BG Products unveils new technology and training center
BG Products has a new 34,000 square-foot technology and training center.
The facility at 740 S. Wichita houses an automotive testing lab called the Proving Ground, a chemistry lab and classroom space for BG University, where the company trains sales reps.
“None of our competitors in the world have anything like this,” said Darin Greseth, chairman, CEO and president of BG Products, which manufactures specialty chemicals and service equipment for automotive and industrial applications.
“They don’t have the R&D we do, they don’t really try to stay up on things, and they certainly don’t put the emphasis on training.”
More space in the Proving Ground will allow BG to improve testing efficiency while taking on a greater number of vehicles, Greseth said.
“The Proving Ground is designed to bring vehicles in from all over the world, take a look at the current situation on them when they get 30, 40,000 miles on it, run our cleaner on those and then do an after test so we can validate before and after results for our products,” Greseth said.
BG held an open house Tuesday for guests to tour the Proving Ground. The facility has state-of-the-art equipment and what Shop Foreman Tommy Garcia described as “automotive treadmills.”
The expanded chemistry lab is in the process of obtaining an elite certification called ISO 17025, Greseth said.
“Basically, we’ll be able to use it in conjunction with any lab in the country,” he said.
Greseth said the training provided through BG University classes gives his company an edge on the competition.
“The BG University was really set up to make sure that our people are trained in the field — that they have the latest information, they have all the latest techniques, they understand all of our products and technical and hands-on training in the shop,” Greseth said.
Greseth said the expanded technology and training center has created more jobs, but couldn’t give an exact number.
“We added chemists, we added the entire training group, we’ve added all our technicians,” Greseth said.
In 2017, BG razed two smaller buildings totaling 7,000 square feet on the site of the new technology and training center. The building project was completed by Dondlinger Construction.