A robotic arm adds bolts as a mechanical part travels on a belt through eight building stations. (Staff photo by Ed Cottingham)

MONROE--The clink of metal on metal echoes around the room, joined by a loud ?pssst? from the air compressor. Shiny copper pipes hang above hefty machinery bolted to wooden tables. Work stations painted fire engine red and cobalt blue scattered about the room.

South Piedmont Community College held an open house Tuesday for its Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing Training Center.

?I?m looking five years down the road,? Mary Taylor, a human resources employment manager, said.

Taylor, who works for Cobb-Vantress, a genetic breeder of poultry in Wadesboro, attended the grand opening to see what technology students are learning. 

That education will improve her company?s employee base, she said, increasing the chance for local hires.

It?s also a peek into the direction Cobb-Vantress will go with its own technology, she said.

Larry Cantrell finished the 10-week industrial maintenance course on Tuesday. He found himself out of construction work about a year ago, he said, and sought a career ?with a future.?

Was the program what he expected?

?It was a bit more,? Cantrell said.

He hopes to find a job somewhere like ATI Allvac or Goodrich, maintaining equipment.

?I?m a bit older than most of these guys,? he said, but thinks he is better prepared for a stable manufacturing job.

The roomful of machinery was made possible through a Duke Energy grant, Omnova donations and a grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation, SPCC director of corporate training Todd Morris said.

?It has a sort of Jetsonian feel to it,? Golden LEAF Foundation President Dan Gerlach said referring to the futuristic TV cartoon series.

The industrial maintenance program recently moved from SPCC?s Monroe campus to a larger location on Airport Road, about a mile away.

Looking around the room, Gerlach said the expansion gives him confidence in local companies? growth.

SPCC is ?committed to 21st century equipment,? Gerlach said, and building its workforce to empower businesses and make them more competitive.

SPCC is one of a few colleges in the state with certain industrial maintenance equipment, mechatronics program coordinator Russell Carpenter said. SPCC has used the new location since the last course started 10 weeks ago, but just got all of its new equipment in.

About 200 students have gone through the program in the past two years, from students right out of college to those in their 50s, including men and women.

Amy Frye takes classes at SPCC and is considering courses in CNC operations.

?It looks like Monroe is going to be the hub? for aerospace and manufacturing growth, she said. ?This is impressive.?

?There?s more automation in equipment,? Morris said, and companies need skilled technicians.

Students might find jobs in facility maintenance or manufacturing, he said, handling electrical wiring, motor controls, pump systems and mechanical drive systems.