NORTH KINGSTOWN – A new center to train workers in trades such as welding and pipe-fitting will open at Quonset Business Park next year after the R.I. Economic Development Corporation (EDC) approved a $225,000 loan Nationwide Diesel Technologies Inc.

The EDC’s Small Business Loan Fund awarded the loan to Nationwide Diesel, which operates a technical training facility in Smithfield, so the company can open the Trades Training Center of Rhode Island on Feb. 15. The company plans to hire 15 employees.

The EDC “seized the opportunity” to provide working capital to Nationwide Diesel, said J. Michael Saul, the agency’s interim director, and “support an organization that will directly meet the technical needs of local employers, create new jobs and enhance our ability to attract and retain companies with technical workforce requirements.”

Nationwide Diesel offers training in specialties including welding, pipe-fitting, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, diesel mechanics, CDL driver training and plumbing, the EDC said.

Several employers in the Quonset area, including Electric Boat Corp. and Senesco Marine LLC, intend to collaborate with Nationwide Diesel in creation of custom-tailored programs specific to their business needs, according to the EDC.

“This will reduce training time and costs, allowing employers to expand their talent pool by hiring ready-to-work Nationwide Diesel graduates,” the agency said in a news release.

“We are excited to establish the Trades Training Center of Rhode Island as a multi-faceted facility providing cost-efficient, certified training to enhance the marketability of technically oriented professionals, including the unemployed, the under-employed and returning armed forces personnel,” said Alan LaBonte, the training center’s administrative director.

The EDC Small Business Loan Fund is targeted at businesses looking for direct fully-secured loans and provides funding of up to $250,000, with flexible terms and up to 10 years for repayment. A committee of local business representatives regularly meets to decide on funding requests.

Nationwide Diesel, formerly known as Smithfield Tractor Trailer Driving School Inc., was established in 1968 and is family-owned and operated.

Additional information is available at riedc.com.