Augusta Technical College has received a $1 million donation from the Knox Foundation, the third gift of that amount this year after contributions from the Augusta National Golf Club and the Jim Hudson Automotive Group.
The endowment brings the college closer toward development of its planned automotive service training center in the Laney Walker neighborhood.
“The college has been fortunate to raise $3 million with an additional $500,000 provided by the college’s foundation in support of purchasing the Johnson Motor Company Dealership on Walton Way,” said Augusta Tech President Jermaine Whirl. “This gift allows us to move forward with the acquisition and begin renovations and up-fits of the facility.”
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Earlier this year this school announced its plan to purchase the Johnson Motor Company Dealership at 1122 Walton Way in order to convert it into a regional training center. The 65,000 square foot building would be a replacement and expansion of the institution’s current automotive tech space, which is only 10,000 square feet.
“It will allow our students to work in a fully simulated car dealership with instruction in car sales, parts, service, and technician training,” Whirl said. “Specifically, training in electrical vehicles, heavy and light duty diesel, auto body and collision, and automotive technology will be taught in the facility.”
The training center is but one of Augusta Tech’s several projects in progress, such as its partnership with Downtown Development Authority of Augusta to build the Microenterprise Center on the Broad Street corridor, and another major manufacturing facility.
The college has been making strides towards both expansion, rebranding and participation in industry-growing in the southeast since Whirl’s appointment in 2020. The Knox Foundation’s announcement of its donation to the school comes on the heel of Queensborough National Bank and Trust recently welcoming Whirl, a macroeconomist by training who has taught economics at the college level, onto its board of directors.
Whirl notes that the school’s advances are in tandem with Augusta’s own industrial growth, as workforce development and drawing talent are the area’s highest priorities for our business community.
“Growth cannot happen without a trained workforce,” he said. “Moreover, new industry growth and economic development activity are also contingent on our area having growth in its labor participation rate and up-skilling of our incumbent workforce.”
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While Augusta Tech is no stranger to being the recipient of community investments, its recent donations, Whirl said, indicate that local business community is aware devoting more resources to industrial tech could poise Augusta to compete with similar manufacturing booms in the region, including South Carolina cities such as Greenville, Charleston and Columbia.
“Augusta is uniquely positioned to be the place to be if our infrastructure, politics, educational systems and workforce agencies all work in unison,” Whirl said. “Our supporters and stakeholders want to accelerate those opportunities, and our institution is fortunate to be surrounded by like-minded individuals that want to see Augusta be the leader in the state and nation for growth and transformative change.”
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
