The Ed Coates Memorial Foundation has announced the donation of a brand-new hoist and metal lathe to the Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District 42 Trades Program and the initiation of new scholarships across the province.

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.

The foundation has also announce the creation of six new scholarships and bursaries for post-secondary students across British Columbia.

New financial awards have been created at Thompson Rivers University, Camosun College, and Okanagan College, in addition to the scholarships Lordco already offers at Vancouver Community College, BCIT, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and the University of the Fraser Valley.

In financial assistance alone, Lordco now provides over $30,000 annually to students pursuing studies in automotive trades programs.

“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.”

The Ed Coates Memorial Foundation was founded in 2014 after Lordco’s founder, Ed Coates, passed away unexpectedly. Ed’s wife and children created the foundation with the hopes of carrying on his legacy and giving back to the community he called home while investing in the future of the automotive industry through scholarships, bursaries, and other forms of financial assistance for students in automotive, distribution, and business programs.

The Ed Coates Memorial Foundation’s mission is focused on supporting entrepreneurship and career-building within the automotive industry. To this day, the foundation has donated over $175,000 in scholarships and equipment donations to local schools and automotive programs. 

Visit EdCoatesFoundation.org.