Columbia State Community College, in partnership with Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology - Hohenwald and Pulaski, held a ceremony Wednesday to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Southern Regional Technology Center on the Columbia Campus alongside local and state officials, community members, industry partners, Foundation Board members and donors.

“It started with a capital project for a health sciences building,” said Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president. “When Northfield closed, we saw an opportunity to redesign the project to provide increased programs and opportunities for the healthcare and industrial workforce. Thus, the three colleges forged a partnership that has brought us to today.”

“You will not find three better partners working together for the benefit of the community and the students to make this building a reality,” said Dr. Flora W. Tydings, TBR chancellor. “So a student can come here—take programs at the technical college, take programs at the community college—and go back and forth between the two, if that's what they need to do to advance their career. This is a historic marking for what we're doing in the state of Tennessee.”

The SRTC will serve as a regional hub for education and training, addressing the needs of both citizens and employers. It will be a cornerstone of economic and workforce development, offering the latest industry and healthcare training. Emphasizing partnerships through internships, apprenticeships, program development and job placement; educational offerings will include diplomas, technical certificates and associate of applied science degrees.

“Today marks a significant milestone in the journey of education and workforce development in this region,” said Mike Whitehead, TCAT Pulaski president. “The groundbreaking of the SRTC is not just the commencement of a new building, it is the dawn of new opportunities, new futures and new horizons.”

“We are excited about the HVAC and the welding programs that will be offered in this new facility,” Whitehead continued. “These programs are designed to equip our students with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in high-demand industries. By providing the hands-on training with the latest technologies, we are ensuring that our graduates are not only job-ready, but they're future-ready as well.”

The approximately 88,000 square-foot building will house programs such as Medical Laboratory Technology, Nursing, Radiologic Technology, Respiratory Care, Medical Informatics, Engineering Systems Technology (including Mechatronics and Robotics), Veterinary Technology, Practical Nursing (LPN), Automotive Technology, HVAC and Welding.

“This will be the new realization of dreams come true for the technical programs that we actually began at the Northfield Spring Hill facility—but with the SRTC now giving a true home for the expansion of the technical programs of automotive to include hybrid, EV and electric, and practical nursing—providing a permanent existence in Maury County for the future economic development and supply for students for the workforce for years to come,” explained Dr. Kelli Kea-Carroll, TCAT Hohenwald president. “It is a collaboration of opportunity and service to our students and community.”

“The SRTC is a very special project, and it is one that is needed by our community,” Smith said. “It is needed by our industrial partners, and most importantly, it is needed by the current and future students who will receive training that provides a career, a livelihood and an opportunity for continued growth. We can't get better than that. The dirt we move today is a celebration of partnerships, celebration of opportunity and the commitment of three colleges to educational opportunities and its state-of-the-art facility for students and community success.”   

The SRTC is slated to open for students in fall 2027.

For additional information about Columbia State, please visit www.ColumbiaState.edu

To learn more about donation, partnership and endowment opportunities, please visit www.ColumbiaState.edu/SRTC.