Brookings, S.D. – September 15, 2026 -- Northern Tool + Equipment has launched its fourth annual student vehicle build program at Flandreau Indian School, tasking 14 career and technical education (CTE) students with transforming a 1976 Ford F-350 utility truck into a rolling showcase of skilled-trades careers for display at the 2027 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Build IV marks the program's first placement at a tribal school and its first gender-balanced student team
Half of the Flandreau Indian School Build Team is female, a program first for Northern Tool's four-year-old initiative. Students will handle welding, fabrication, automotive repair, paint, bodywork and design work on the truck throughout the 2026-2027 school year, working directly alongside industry professionals rather than watching contractors complete the work.
The truck's six utility compartments and cargo bed will be converted into what the program calls "America's Ultimate Trades Toolbox," with each section built to represent a distinct skilled trade. Students face a May 5 completion deadline ahead of a public reveal near Flandreau later that month, before the vehicle ships to Las Vegas in November as a featured vehicle at SEMA 2027.
DEWALT and House of Kolor commit tools and paint supplies to reopen the school's shuttered shop facilities
Northern Tool is partnering with DEWALT to supply the school shop with what the companies describe as thousands of dollars in professional-grade tools intended for use beyond the single build cycle. Sherwin-Williams brand House of Kolor, marking its 70th anniversary this year, will reopen Flandreau's closed paint booth and supply paint for the project. Einspahr Ford of Brookings, South Dakota, is contributing trained technicians to work with students on diagnostics and professional automotive procedures, with potential pathway opportunities for students pursuing automotive careers.
Custom builder Keaton Lee joins as lead mentor for the school-year project
Renowned custom painter and builder Keaton Lee will mentor the student team through the build process. Flandreau Indian School Superintendent Everall Fox said the partnership carries no product endorsement requirement, framing the arrangement as investment in the school's CTE program without commercial strings attached.
Build documentation expands to an eight-episode television series on RACER Network
For the second consecutive year, the student build will be produced as a television series, with Build IV set for an eight-episode run premiering on RACER Network in October 2027. Northern Tool will also post monthly build updates on its YouTube channel, hosted by Jesse James Dupree, lead singer of Jackyl, alongside progress updates on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
SEMA's Recognition Program Manager Joe Escobar said the organization plans to showcase the finished vehicle as evidence of incoming talent in the automotive aftermarket and trades sector at the 2027 show.