Coyne College Honored by Better Business Bureau for 90 Year Partnership

CHICAGO, March 20, 2018 -- Coyne College, a leader in career-focused education and training for HVAC and Refrigeration; Electrical Construction, Maintenance and Planning; Medical Assisting; Medical Billing and Coding; and Pharmacy Technician, announced that it was honored by the Better Business Bureau of Chicago & Northern Illinois (BBB) for its 90-year history of being an accredited business with the organization.  An award was presented to Coyne College President Russell Freeman at a dinner on March 1.  Coyne College joins the Chicago Tribune, ComEd and Sears Holdings Corporation as one of four organizations to reach this historic milestone.    

“We are pleased to honor Coyne College as one of four Chicago organizations that have been a trusted partner of the Better Business Bureau for over 90 years,” said Steve J. Bernas, President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois.  “Coyne College, under the leadership of its President, Russell Freeman, continues to exemplify and uphold the goals and principles of the Better Business Bureau, by supporting and fostering an ethical marketplace benefitting both consumers and businesses.”

“The Better Business Bureau is the gold standard that consumers rely on to identify businesses that operate ethically while delivering a high level of customer satisfaction,” said Russell Freeman, President of Coyne College. “We are proud to support the BBB as part of our ongoing commitment to providing educational excellence, value and satisfaction to our students.”   

Coyne College’s origins date back to 1899, when Mr. B.W. Cooke established the Coyne Electrical School of Chicago.  The Cooke family operated Coyne for more than 50 years, and as its reputation grew, it became one of the largest and most famous schools of its kind in the United States.  The school primarily trained electricians, but as technology developed throughout the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s, programs in HVAC-R, Radio Repair and Television Service & Repair also became available.

Near the end of the 1960s, the Coyne Electrical School merged with the American Institute of Engineering and Technology, a drafting, engineering and electronics institute, which created the Coyne American Institute.  The Institute and its predecessor schools earned a reputation for technical training excellence, continuing support for graduates, and partnerships with businesses and the Chicago community.

After spending decades in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, in December 2004 Coyne College’s Main Campus moved to its Green Street location.  With a concentration on trades-related technical career training, the Main Campus carried on Coyne’s long tradition of construction, maintenance and repair-oriented training programs.

Coyne’s Loop Campus was established in April 2004.  Programs at the Loop Campus focused on burgeoning careers in health care fields, which in recent years have seen some of the country’s fastest job growth.

Coyne made its first acquisition of another career college on March 12, 2009, when it acquired Brown College of Court Reporting in Atlanta, Georgia.  Presently, Brown College offers Court Reporting Programs at its Atlanta location and online.

In 2010, Coyne American Institute formally became Coyne College.  To create a more cohesive atmosphere, in January 2014 the allied health programs moved from the Loop Campus to the Main Campus on Green Street with all programs offered at one location.

In June 2016, Coyne College moved to its current location in the heart of Chicago’s vibrant business district known as the Loop.  Coyne College continues to function as a leading career-focused institution of the skilled trades.

About the Better Business Bureau
The BBB is a non-profit, non-governmental organization.  It is supported by businesses to protect consumers against scams and other unethical business practices.  The group accomplishes this by educating both consumers and businesses, and by highlighting trustworthy businesses.  By developing reports and ratings on businesses and charitable organizations, the BBB encourages people to use these as resources and referrals to utilize the free services before making a purchase or donation.  The BBB helps resolve buyer/seller complaints through its alternative dispute resolution process.  In 2013, the BBB provided more than 22,600,000 instances of service.  Over 80 percent of consumer complaints to the BBB were resolved.  The Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois is a member of the international BBB system that services the United States, Canada and Mexico.  More information on the BBB can be found at www.bbb.org.

About Coyne College
Coyne College has more than 110 years of experience in educating and preparing students for brighter futures through hands-on, dedicated career training.  Located in downtown Chicago, Coyne offers individualized instruction, flexible class schedules and large, furnished labs.  Coyne offers diploma and associate degree programs in a variety of fields including Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Electrical/Electronics, and Healthcare.  To learn more, visit www.coynecollege.edu or call (800)707-1922.

Media Contact: 
David Gutierrez, Dresner Corporate Services, (312)780-7204, [email protected]