SCC to host grand opening event for Trades Facility

Published 9:23 pm Wednesday, October 8, 2025

ALBEMARLE — Stanly Community College will hold a grand opening celebration on Thursday for its new Trades Facility, a $12 million investment designed to strengthen technical education and workforce development in the region.

The 31,600-square-foot facility is now complete, and classes are officially underway.

The dedication event will take place on Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the facility located behind the Morton-Moffitt Cosmetology Center on the college’s Albemarle campus at 141 College Drive.

The public is invited to attend the community-wide dedication, where visitors can tour the new space, meet instructors and learn how SCC is preparing students for high-demand careers in the skilled trades.

Students, industry partners and community members are all welcomed to explore a building designed to promote success in trades such as advanced manufacturing, construction and engineering technology.

Personalized tours can also be scheduled by visiting stanly.edu and signing up for an in-depth look at the new labs, equipment and classrooms.

At the Stanly County Economic Development Commission meeting on Sept. 29, SCC President John Enamait said local businesses are already showing interest and touring the facility.

“I must say to this group and to the commissioners, that was a vision realized — seeing not just students learning, but a potential employer in the facility,” Enamait said.

“Hopefully, the commissioners believe that’s a worthwhile investment — not just for now, but for the future, and not just for the community college but for the county itself. It really was a full-circle morning, so many thanks to the commissioners and Stanly County Manager Andy Lucas for the support of that facility.”

The Trades Facility serves as a hub for hands-on learning, offering expanded space for programs such as air conditioning, heating and refrigeration technology, computer-integrated machining, heavy equipment operations, electronics engineering technology, mechatronics engineering technology, welding technology and electrical lineworker training.

In addition to enhancing existing offerings, SCC has launched new programs in plumbing, electrical systems technology and building construction technology to meet the growing demand for skilled trade workers across the region.

The SCC Foundation is also offering naming opportunities for 19 areas within the facility, with donation levels ranging from $2,500 to $75,000. Four of those spaces have already been purchased.

Anyone interested in pledging a donation can contact Nicole Williams, foundation executive director, at [email protected] or 704-991-0281.