Lincoln Electric : Partners with National FFA Organization to Manufacture, Sell Limited-Edition Student-Designed Viking® 2450 Welding Helmet

Winning design contest entrant, Highland FFA chapter from Gilbert, Arizona, also to receive cash prize and free helmets for creative efforts

Cleveland - As part of its ongoing commitment to bridge the skills gap and help engage and excite the future workforce about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), Lincoln Electric recently joined forces with longtime partner, the National FFA Organization, to sponsor a Welding Helmet Design Contest for student chapters nationwide. The winning design is being manufactured into a limited edition, Lincoln Electric Viking® 2450 Series Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet that will be available for sale through Lincoln Electric.

Earlier this year, all FFA chapters received an invitation from Lincoln Electric to submit a helmet design, with the winning chapter's design moving from concept to reality. A group of judges from FFA and Lincoln Electric then selected the qualifying designs, of which the top four submissions were showcased on Lincoln Electric's Facebook site for voting by members of FFA student chapters across the United States. Contest rules permitted each chapter to submit up to five designs. Total designs submitted topped 125 entries.

The first place winner, the Highland FFA chapter, located in Gilbert, Arizona, led by advisor Curtis Willems, will soon see its design on the limited-edition Viking helmet. The design features a blue-and-gold color scheme, emblazoned with a photographic image of a Bald Eagle on the side and the FFA logo at the top. At the bottom of the visor, the helmet boasts the FFA motto: "Learning to Do. Doing to Learn. Earning to Live. Living to Serve."

In addition to its design entering the production and retail cycle, the top chapter also won 10 helmets of the winning design and a $2,000 cash prize.

The second-place team, the Westlake, Utah, chapter, led by advisor Michael Gowans, won five helmets of the winning design and a $1,000 cash prize. The third place chapter from Gilman, Wisconsin, led by advisor Lisa Kopp, will receive three helmets and a $500 cash prize.

"We were thrilled by the response and interest we received from FFA chapters across the country," says Carl Peters, Lincoln Electric's director of technical training. "We had some really creative submissions. There's some strong young talent out there, and we are happy to see that welding is on these students' career radars, thanks to the National FFA Organization's ongoing efforts to engage the workforce of tomorrow in STEM careers within the agriculture field."

Designed for long hours of comfortable wear, thanks to its pivot-style headgear, this collectible Viking 2450 Series Helmet features perfect 1/1/1/1 optical clarity rating (EN329); fastest switching speed in its class; up to 28 percent larger viewing area vs. competitive helmets; and a three-year warranty. It will be manufactured and sold in limited quantity. Orders will be accepted for this new helmet design beginning at the National FFA Convention & Expo, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, in Louisville, Kentucky, with sales in Lincoln's global retail channels following.

For more information on Lincoln Electric visit www.lincolnelectric.com.

The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of 610,240 student members as part of 7,665 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization operates under a federal charter granted by the 81st United States Congress and it is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online at FFA.org, on Facebook, Twitter and the official National FFA Organization blog.

Lincoln Electric is the world leader in the design, development and manufacture of arc welding products, robotic arc welding systems, plasma and oxy-fuel cutting equipment and has a leading global position in the brazing and soldering alloys market. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Lincoln has 48 manufacturing locations, including operations and joint ventures in 19 countries and a worldwide network of distributors and sales offices covering more than 160 countries. For more information about Lincoln Electric and its products and services, visit the Company's website at http://www.lincolnelectric.com .

# # #