A scale model of an intricate piece of equipment sits in the entryway of Astec Industries’ revamped training center off Jerome Avenue.
Outside, a real-life version of the machine which produces the asphalt used to build roads, looms over a small group of people standing beside it. Materials filter through several steps, and unneeded byproducts are vacuumed into a separate compartment before the final product ends up in the back of a dump truck.
“Our equipment is highly specialized, and it seems like every year it gets a little more sophisticated,” Tamera Long, the facility’s general manager, said in an interview.
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On Friday morning, leaders from Astec Industries, which makes equipment for the road construction industry, opened a renovated training facility to teach customers how to operate and maintain the complicated machines it sells. It will also enable the company to host meetings, town halls and employee training sessions.