September 23, 2025
By BARTON HENLEY
Rutherford County Schools
LaVergne High School students are stepping into the national spotlight for a once-in-a-lifetime experience through Northern Tool + Equipment.
Through its Tools for the Trades program, the company selects vocational students in one high school in the country and gives them the opportunity to build a special vehicle project.
This is the third year of the program.
Previously a school in Minnesota built a Legends car, and last year, a high school in Texas built a one-third scale monster truck.
For this year’s project, Harley-Davidson Motorcycles has donated a 2025 street bike, and students will be working with sponsors and experts in the field to convert it to a dirt track motorcycle, which will be raced professionally next season before being auctioned for charity.
A team of LaVergne High School students from welding instructor Jason Bowers’ class will work directly with professional mentors to build the premier dirt track motorcycle to race in June.
The LaVergne group is just the third nationwide to take on the challenge since the program launched in 2021. Northern Tool + Equipment’s Murfreesboro store will also provide the school’s welding program with essential equipment.
"This project is going to be a great opportunity for my students," Bowers said. "Welding students work so hard, so I'm excited to see them tackle this. Thank you to Northern Tool for their partnership and opportunity. We’ve been told we are building something fast, so that’s exciting to us. All the skills the students have learned inside the welding shop, they will be putting to use.”
The eight-month build will take place on the LaVergne High campus. The finished Harley Davidson motorcycle will race in the American Flat Track race next June.
“This is such a wonderful opportunity,” LaVergne High School principal Dr. Theowauna Hatchett said. “This can open up opportunities for our students when it comes to their futures - whether it’s an internship or a sparked interest. It’s a special experience and we are grateful.”
Northern Tool + Equipment will be on campus to film episodes once a month until the reveal, highlighting the school and different parts of the project. Mentors from the sport will also be in attendance to work alongside the students.
Thank you to American Flat Track, Choppers Inc., Dewalt, Harley Davidson, Legends Racing, Milwaukee, Tennessee Nashville Speedway for their support of this project.
In addition to the project, Northern Tool also gave each student a bucket stuffed with shop equipment, including a $50 gift card to the store.
To learn more about Northern Tool and Equipment’s Tools for the Trades, click here: Tools for the Trades