Associated Training Services

What Associated Training Services does

Associated Training Services (ATS) is a privately held, for-profit vocational training institution headquartered in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, founded in 1996 and operating under legal entity Associated Training Services Corp. The company delivers hands-on and classroom-based training programs preparing individuals for careers as heavy equipment operators, mobile and tower crane operators, riggers, signalpersons, digger derrick operators, and Class-A CDL commercial drivers. The core product portfolio comprises Heavy Equipment Operator Training (two levels), Mobile Crane Operator Training (three levels covering fixed hydraulic, swing hydraulic, and lattice boom cranes), Tower Crane Training, Rigging/Signalperson Training, Truck Driver Training, and Digger Derrick Training, with curriculum explicitly aligned to National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) written and practical exam requirements. ATS is not a technology platform company; it operates physical training infrastructure including an on-site dormitory that enables out-of-state enrollment, and does not disclose proprietary software or AI systems.

The business operates a primarily direct-to-consumer enrollment model through its website (operator-school.com), a toll-free admissions line, and email inquiries, supplemented by B2B customized training delivered at employer sites nationwide through its subsidiary ATS Specialized LLC. Revenue is generated primarily through multi-week vocational program tuition, with secondary streams from employer-specific customized training and facilitation of student financing via partnerships including USA Finance LLC. The company is licensed by the Wisconsin Educational Approval Board, approved by the Veterans Administration as a Veteran Friendly School, and was qualified in October 2025 as a CCO EDU Accredited Training Provider. Student financing channels include GI Bill benefits, WIOA workforce development funding, and third-party tuition financing.

Customer acquisition relies on content marketing via a frequently published blog, SEO for career and certification queries, and a maintained social presence on YouTube, LinkedIn (10,000+ followers), Facebook, and Twitter. Channel partnerships include Total Resources Network for graduate placement, trade associations (Associated Builders & Contractors, Associated General Contractors of America, National Underground Contractors Association), and ISNetworld compliance listings. The company claims thousands of graduates placed nationwide over 50+ years of combined family industry experience, with employer destinations including Halliburton, Waste Management, Shaw, Pike Industries, Tradesmen International, and MN DOT. ATS is led by President John Klabacka; no parent company, institutional investors, or M&A activity is disclosed.

Name

Associated Training Services

Legal name

Associated Training Services Corp.

Website

https://operator-school.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Heavy Equipment and Crane Operator Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Training Delivery Providers (In-Person, Virtual, Train-the-Trainer) (BPACANAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK)

Keywords

• Heavy equipment training
• Crane operator training
• CDL truck driving training
• Rigging signalperson training
• Vocational equipment training

Headquarters

HQ city

Sun Prairie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Vocational Training Programs: ATS generates revenue primarily through tuition fees charged for its vocational training programs in heavy equipment operation, mobile crane operation, tower crane operation, rigging/signalperson training, truck driving (Class-A CDL), and digger derrick operation. Students pay tuition for multi-week training programs that include both classroom instruction and hands-on equipment operation.
2. Specialized/Employer Customized Training: ATS offers employer-specific customized training delivered at its Sun Prairie, Wisconsin campus or at remote locations throughout the country. This B2B revenue stream serves contractors and employers who need to train existing employees for NCCCO certifications, rigging qualifications, and Class-A CDL licensing.
3. Financial Assistance Programs: ATS facilitates student financing through partnerships with financial assistance providers. The school offers its own financial assistance that covers tuition, housing, and fees for qualifying students. USA Finance LLC is listed as a business partner providing financing services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Associated Training Services operates a vocational training school in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, delivering multi-week hands-on programs in heavy equipment operation (backhoes, bulldozers, excavators, wheel loaders, motor graders), mobile and tower crane operation, rigging/signalperson qualification, digger derrick operation, and Class-A CDL commercial truck driving. Programs combine classroom instruction (safety, grade reading, laser levels, site plans, NCCCO exam prep) with operation of real machinery and culminate in preparation for NCCCO and CDL credentials. Tuition-funded programs serve individuals nationwide, with ATS Specialized LLC providing customized employer training at the Wisconsin campus or remote locations throughout the country.

Product overview

Associated Training Services (ATS) is a vocational training institution offering a portfolio of heavy equipment and commercial driver's training programs. The core offerings include Heavy Equipment Operator Training, Mobile Crane Operator Training (with Level One and Level Two progression), Truck Driver Training (Class-A CDL), Rigging/Signalperson Training, Tower Crane Training, and Digger Derrick Training. These programs are designed to prepare students for NCCCO (National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators) certifications and industry credentials. ATS also provides Specialized Training as an add-on for employer-specific customized programs. The company offers employment assistance, financial assistance, and housing assistance to support students throughout their training and job placement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heavy Equipment Operator Training Two-level hands-on training program that teaches operation of backhoes, bulldozers, excavators, wheel loaders, scrapers, all-terrain fork lifts, motor graders, and articulated off-road dump trucks, including grade reading, grade stakes, laser levels, site plans, site layout, soils, and safety. Intended for career changers and entry-level operators with no prior experience.
• Mobile Crane Operator Training Three-level mobile crane operator program. Level One covers Fixed Hydraulic Cranes and Swing Hydraulic Cranes; Level Two covers Lattice Boom Cranes. Curriculum is designed for safe operation and prepares students for NCCCO certification exams.
• Truck Driver Training (Class-A CDL) Class-A CDL commercial driver training program that teaches the skills and knowledge needed to obtain a Class-A CDL license and to haul heavy equipment or drive a mobile crane on public roadways. Students must already hold a Class-A learner's permit from their state of residence.
• Rigging/Signalperson Training Training program that prepares students for the NCCCO written and practical certification exams for Rigger and Signalperson roles. Functions as a stand-alone offering or as an add-on to the mobile crane or heavy equipment training programs.
• Tower Crane Training Comprehensive tower crane operator training covering NCCCO CCO Tower Crane certification requirements including load chart interpretation, pre-operational inspection, site preparation, machine setup, and overhead hazard management.
• Digger Derrick Training Training program for digger derrick operators used in utility and construction industries for tasks such as digging holes and setting utility poles.
• ATS Specialized Training (Customized Employer Training) Customized employer-specific training for contractors and operators delivered by ATS Specialized LLC at the Sun Prairie, Wisconsin campus or at remote job sites throughout the country. Includes NCCCO crane operator and Rigger-1/Signalperson training, OSHA-compliant rigging and signalperson qualification, and Class-A CDL commercial driver training and licensing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates earn $25-$52 per hour depending on geography, project type, and union status
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Total Resources NetworkcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCareer services partner connecting ATS graduates with employers. ATS directs graduates to www.totalresourcesnetwork.com for job postings, employer registration, and employment placement services. The partnership provides a dedicated job board platform specifically for ATS graduates and hiring employers.
• Diesel Driving SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a business partner, likely referring students or sharing resources in the commercial driver's training space. Associated through the Total Resources Network umbrella.
• ATS-Specialized LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated entity offering specialized training including Horizontal Directional Drilling Training and employer-specific customized training programs. Operates at the same Sun Prairie campus and at remote locations throughout the country.
• National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary certification body whose credentials ATS prepares students for. NCCCO is the gold standard credentialing body for crane operators, with CCO certification required or preferred by virtually every commercial contractor and recognized in all 50 states. ATS holds CCO EDU Accredited Training Provider status.
• Associated Builders & ContractorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrade association membership providing access to contractor network and industry resources. Members include construction firms that may hire ATS graduates.
• Associated General Contractors of AmericaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrade association membership connecting ATS with the broader construction industry. AGC member companies represent potential employers for ATS graduates.
• National Underground Contractors AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrade association for underground construction and utility contractors. NUCA members include companies that hire digger derrick operators and other equipment operators trained by ATS.
• ISNetworldminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCompliance management system used by companies to verify contractor qualifications. Being listed in ISNetworld helps ATS graduates gain access to contractors requiring verified training and safety credentials.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• West Coast Training: Woodland, Washington-based vocational school offering hands-on heavy equipment operator training across a similar equipment portfolio (excavators, dozers, loaders, etc.). Directly comparable as a competing heavy equipment training provider targeting the same individual career-changer and veteran segments with NCCCO-aligned curricula.
• National Heavy Equipment Operators School: North Carolina-based heavy equipment operator training school delivering multi-week hands-on programs on similar equipment categories. Direct competitor serving the same career-changer and infrastructure-adjacent customer base with comparable tuition-driven business model.
• Crane Institute of America: Florida-based NCCCO-aligned crane operator training provider covering mobile, tower, and overhead crane certification. Directly comparable on the crane operator side of ATS's portfolio, competing for the same NCCCO-prep students and employer-sponsored training dollars.
• Industrial Training International: Texas-based provider of crane, rigging, and signalperson training and certification aligned to NCCCO and ASME standards. Comparable as a specialized training provider in the rigging/signalperson and crane operations training category, also serving both individual trainees and corporate-customized cohorts.
• Roadmaster Drivers School: Multi-location U.S. CDL Class-A truck driving school targeting career-changers and offering employer placement partnerships. Directly comparable to ATS's Class-A CDL program in target customer, tuition model, and placement-driven value proposition.
• 160 Driving Academy: Large U.S. network of Class-A CDL training schools with multi-state campuses and employer placement relationships. Comparable on the CDL/Truck Driver Training side of ATS's curriculum, sharing the same career-changer enrollment funnel and WIOA/financing dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• Universal Technical Institute: Publicly traded, multi-campus post-secondary institution providing technician training across transportation, diesel, industrial, and welding trades. An adjacent incumbent offering overlapping vocational/technical-school capabilities but at substantially larger scale and broader scope than ATS's operator-focused niche.
• Lincoln Tech: Established multi-campus for-profit vocational school with programs across skilled trades, heavy equipment, CDL, and industrial technologies. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the same vocational/technical school category, though ATS specializes more narrowly in heavy equipment and crane.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/equipmentschool
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHvcNTo0Qvzde1qRhOV1VTw
• Facebookfacebook.com/ATSheavyequipmentschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/associated-training-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Associated Training Services