STAFF REPORT

Ron Snell, founder and owner of Empire Refractory Specialists of Hueytown, has announced the establishment of the Empire Refractory Masonry Scholarship at Wallace Community College Selma.

According to Snell, the Empire Refractory Masonry Scholarship will be awarded annually to a student enrolled in the WCCS Masonry program who intends to pursue a career in the masonry field.

The scholarship will be awarded in the amount of $4,000 to a student selected by WCCS and will cover the full amount of the student’s tuition and entry fees for the masonry program.

Empire Refractory Specialists, located in Hueytown, has been providing refractory contracting services and refractory materials sales to major industrial companies throughout the south-central region of the United States for the past 18 years.

Empire Refractory supports its customers with a highly trained work force and state-of-the-art industrial equipment and construction systems.

A key initiative for Empire is a commitment to the professional development of its workforce.

This initiative includes a three-year apprentice program that provides young employees with a career pathway to develop their refractory knowledge and skills while on the job with Empire’s experienced team of professionals.

Snell said Empire Refractory &8220;has a strong commitment to the development of skilled masons&8221; through its apprenticeship program.