FLINT - The last major section of steel was installed at Mott Community College's Regional Technology Center on May 15, moving the school a step forward toward supplying trained workers to the organizations that need them.

Set to open in 2002, the $35 million center will specialize in training students in the area of manufacturing technology, including the use of computer simulation.

"It's a great day for Mott, it's a great day for a topping out, and it's another great day for the Iron Workers leading up to their 100th anniversary," said college President Richard Shaink. "The iron workers and the building trades have been such a big part of the process of building our Regional Technology Center."

Mott sought and won status for the planned center as a Michigan Technical Education site, one of 16 such sites at community colleges statewide. The centers focus on training skilled workers needed to attract high-tech companies. The college has received grants and government assistance, including a recent $1.78-million congressional appropriation for the tech center.

"On behalf of the building trades, our thanks go out to Mott College for having the foresight to enact a project labor agreement with unions on this project," said Flint Area Building Trades President Dennis Lynch. "With a project labor agreement, workers from this area will be paid the right amount of money for the job they do. And in return, Mott will get a job done right, and a job done on time and on budget."

The new Regional Technology Center is an 11,000-square foot, high-bay manufacturing facility with a 10-ton overhead crane system. It is located adjacent to heavy manufacturing processing labs (machining, CNC, welding and casting) and a materials science lab equipped with testing and documentation equipment. This new lab is linked to manufacturing programs in design, automotive, electronics, fluid power and information technology/computer networking programs.

"The topping out is a milestone for Mott Community College and for our community," said Iron Workers Local 25 President Shorty Gleason. "Under the terms of a project labor agreement, we're building a tech center that we can all be proud of. Our work here is a symbol of our commitment to the community, just like Mott's commitment to the community."

During the topping out ceremony, Gleason urged Genesee County residents to vote in favor of a 0.65 millage increase issue that will appear on the June 11 ballot. The operating millage increase will help Mott operate the Regional Technology Center.

IRON WORKERS Mark Hoye and Ray Ameel of Local 25 wait atop the steel at Mott Community College's Regional Technology Center for the final beam and a banner that denotes Local 25's 100th anniversary in 2001. The operator is Dan Foley of Local 324.