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Ozarks Technical College Breaks Ground on Multi-Million Dollar Center for Advanced Manufacturing

  • November 18, 2020

Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) recently broke ground on a new Center for Advanced Manufacturing in Springfield, Missouri.

The $38 million project is the largest capital project in the history of OTC. It will feature state-of-the-art training and education in robotics, fabrication, mechatronics, automation, drafting and design and 3-D printing.

“The money that was spent and the money that is going to be spent inside this community will not only change Springfield, Missouri, it will change southwest Missouri,” said Paul Sundy, Vice Chair of the OTC Board of Trustees. “Somewhere out there, there is a third-grader right now that is going to be in fifth grade whenever this thing is built. They are going to take a tour of this building and it is going to change their life.”

The 120,000 sq. ft. center is expected to open in 2022. The center will feature space for companies to conduct research and develop new processes and equipment.

“A great workforce is the most important asset we have to serve our customers with solutions and components for energy-efficient air-conditioning systems,” said Keith Calhoun, Director of Operations for Emerson’s compressor manufacturing locations in Missouri. “We have dozens of OTC graduates at our facilities in Lebanon and Ava. Those employees help use make millions of compressors. That’s why this commitment from Emerson to OTC is mutually beneficial.”

Zora Mulligan, the State’s Commissioner of Higher Education, said the new center was an easy project to support.

“This facility will prepare Missourians for great jobs. Manufacturing represents tremendous opportunities in the Ozarks. There are tons of jobs available. There are very high wages available to those who complete these programs,” said Mulligan. “These are the kind of experiences that change lives, that change generations.”

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