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Student Larry Cantrell operates the flexible manufacturing system

Student Larry Cantrell operates the flexible manufacturing system during the open house Sept. 14.

Sept. 15, 2010
Open House Draws Crowd to Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing Training Center
An open house Tuesday at South Piedmont Community College?s new Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing Training Center on Airport Road drew 100 to 150 people out to see the latest in industrial training equipment the school has to offer its students.
During the open house, the school received a symbolic check for $575,000 from the Golden LEAF Foundation. Around $400,000 of that went for a flexible manufacturing system, the newest piece of equipment in the program.
?Golden LEAF is pleased to support the aerospace industry in Monroe and surrounding communities,? Golden LEAF President Dan Gerlach said. ?The Foundation board of directors established a special initiative called the Golden LEAF Opportunities for Work in Aerospace Manufacturing (GLOW-AM) to enhance workforce training capabilities, targeting the aerospace industry?s workforce needs so that a larger pool of North Carolinians is qualified for good-paying job opportunities in this growing industry sector.?
SPCC President John McKay noted that the 4,000-square-foot space contains more than $1 million worth of training equipment. Mechatronics Instructor Russell Carpenter said that SPCC is one of the few colleges in the state with certain pieces of this machinery.
During the presentation of the check, McKay and Gerlach both pointed out the number of aviation-related industries in Monroe and how those companies will continue to need workers. Southern Business & Development magazine recently listed Monroe as a hotbed of aerospace manufacturing in the Southeast. It has the highest concentration of aerospace companies in North Carolina, the magazine said, noting 12 within a seven-mile radius and 2,600 people in the area working in the industry.