Posted: 07/01/2010
Author:
Bill King
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS:
NEDCO — Ed Pool, Chairman
NEDCO — Bill King, President/CEO
NEDCO BOARD PLEDGES $75,000 TO TECH TRAINING CENTER
NACOGDOCHES, Texas (July 1, 2010) — The Nacogdoches Economic Development Corporation (NEDCO) Board of Directors today approved a pledge of $75,000 toward the renovation and construction costs for the Nacogdoches Technical Training Center. The pledge is for $15,000 per year for five years, beginning with the 2011-12 fiscal year.
Earlier this week, the Nacogdoches County Commission approved the purchase of the former Coors Beer Distributorship located at 6003 North Street. The 25,000 square foot building sits on a 4.5 acre site on US-59 Business and offers easy access to buses from our local high schools, as well to employees of local businesses. The property also includes a 3,000 square foot annex with covered outside secure storage.
The estimated cost to convert the property to the technical training center is $3 million, not including the purchase of the property.
“Over the next year or so, we will be applying for federal and state grant money, as well as asking private sector businesses to help us turn the Nacogdoches Technical Training Center into a reality,” said Ed Pool, chairman of NEDCO. “That’s why it’s important that NEDCO puts its money where its mouth is. The County Commission has already stepped up to the plate by purchasing the property, and now it’s our turn.”
Nacogdoches County is in Angelina College’s service area and Angelina College has agreed to operate the Nacogdoches Technical Training Center once the facility has been renovated and furnished. The current timeline calls for operations at the Center to begin in mid-2012. Nacogdoches County will own the property and will lease it to Angelina College.
In addition to its regular course offerings, Angelina College officials have discussed partnering opportunities with Panola College officials to offer programs, such as petroleum technology, that are currently offered by Panola but not by Angelina.
“The challenge for communities like Nacogdoches is to ensure that our young people have the job skills necessary to enable them to get good-paying jobs and participate in the American Dream,” said Bill King, president & CEO of NEDCO. “We must also ensure that our local businesses are able to find workers with sufficient skills, and in sufficient quantities, to enable those businesses to continue to be successful in Nacogdoches County.”
For the past year-and-a-half, the Nacogdoches County Commissioner's Court and County Judge, in partnership with NEDCO and representatives from the local business community and education establishment, have worked together to establish a Technical Training Center in Nacogdoches that will provide bankable job skills (i.e., welding, HVAC, electrician, automotive technician, petroleum technology, certified nurse’s aide, etc.) to non-college bound students; to provide a technical training facility for local companies that will also serve as a conduit for state workforce training incentive programs; and to provide targeted adult education training classes for citizens to improve their education and skills.
About NEDCO:
The Nacogdoches Economic Development Corp. (NEDCO) is charged with promoting and stimulating economic development in Nacogdoches County, Texas. It’s mission is to assist existing businesses in retaining and expanding jobs, to recruit new industry and business to Nacogdoches, and to foster local entrepreneurship.
Historic Nacogdoches, the Oldest Town in Texas, is a vital transportation, business, university and tourism center in the Texas Forest Country, and is the home of Stephen F. Austin State University and its 12,000 students. In addition to being an educational and regional medical hub, Nacogdoches County ranks 8th out of 254 Texas Counties in terms of agricultural production.
The Nacogdoches Economic Market consists of 300,000 people living within 35 miles of downtown Nacogdoches.
