Published: February 03, 2008 11:59 pm            

Open house showcases Autry Tech's many, varied educational opportunities

If you have surgery sometime in the future, Aquila Foster may be in the room assisting your doctor.

Foster is a student in the surgical technology class at Autry Technology Center, which held its annual open house 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Her job will be to make sure all the surgical instruments are sterile. She will remove them from the sterile area and set them up within easy access so she can hand them to a doctor as needed. To do that she had to learn to identify about 200 surgical instruments, some differing only in the serration of their blades.

Learning those instruments and their job was the biggest challenge of the class. Foster said when she became discouraged about learning them all, her instructor encouraged her and told her she would manage it.

Another important part of the job is to count the instruments and sponges as each surgical layer is closed up to make sure nothing is left inside the patient.

Foster started clinical training in August 2007 and will finish in July. During that time she has trained in all aspects of a patient’s stay in the hospital.

Outside on the lawn of Autry Tech, the Super Witch No. 5 by Ditch Witch gave a demonstration. Don Pinkerton, who was involved in building all five of the ditching machines, said each one has been made bigger. The Super Witch demonstrated Sunday has an 850 horsepower engine. The ditching machine is built with 86 percent stock items, but Pinkerton changed some for his demonstration machine.

The machine is designed for medium construction and is not often involved in rental projects. It is capable of digging 100 feet per minute, and is manufactured by Ditch Witch in Perry.

Autry Technology Center’s pride is their Business Dev-elopment Center, which currently is under construction. Dr. Ron Duggin, the head of the center, took some dignitaries on a private tour of the building Sunday afternoon.

There will be about 15,000 square feet of lease space, which includes both laboratory and standard office-type areas. One side of the center is composed of laboratory-type areas, and also a kitchen for food-oriented businesses. The wing on the front is mirrored by an identical one on the other side of the building.

Standard office-type space is located along the east side of the building from front to rear. Duggin said the space can be allocated as needed, by placing walls and even extra doors where needed. The building has a common breakroom, which doubles as a kitchen for employees; a copy room; and informal meeting room.

Traditional office space is supported by two conference rooms and a workroom. The offices are built employing a great deal of natural light.

Companies will be in the building an average of three to five years.

Duggin estimates construction will be completed by March, but plans a mid-May ribbon cutting. He said he may have at least two businesses in the center by that time. Applications are screened and must present a business plan, submit to a credit check and other processes.

Duggin said 80 percent of new businesses fail within five years, but 80 percent of businesses that started in a business incubator setting are successful over a long period of time. They also tend to stay within 30 miles of where they started and do not move away from the area.