Council makes historic investments in training centers across Southeast
The SSMRC is committed to providing millwrights with the best training in the industries we serve, making them highly valued members of the workforce. To do this, we need to keep pace with technology changes, and that requires updating facilities and equipment. That's why our organization has invested $3.5 million in our affiliated training programs in recent years.

Read on to learn more about recent projects.
Charlotte, North Carolina, training center set to open in January
"As long as I've been in training, I've heard from members who say they pay dues, work, and have to drive all way to Augusta or Kennesaw to get training. I'm looking forward to having a training center that's centrally located so those members don’t feel left out. I’m also looking forward to bringing in new members. Opportunities for millwrights in this area are out the roof. There are a lot of power plants and food-and-beverage facilities."
–Shon Douglas, director of education and training, Southeastern Carpenters Training Trust

The new training center sits on 6 acres of land the Southeastern Carpenters Training Trust Fund purchased in 2018 with help from a $300,000 grant from the SSMRC. The location is within 5 miles of interstates 77 and 85, and a traffic study revealed 57,000 vehicles pass the property each day. Learn more about the Charlotte Training Center here.
Fast Facts

Total investment: $6 million

Total square footage: 25,000

  • 15,000 square feet of shop space
  • 5,000 square feet for local offices and union meeting room
  • 5,000 square feet for classrooms and training offices

All-new training equipment will include:
  • Two mechantronics/robot stations (will provide pre-requisite training for the UBC mechatronics course);
  • State-of-the-art welding shop with 10 clean-air welding booths; and
  • A conveyor prop for training on floor conveyor and power and free monorail systems used in many manufacturing processes such as automotive and food and beverage.

Main benefits:
  • Centrally located for members' convenience
  • High-visibility location to help with recruiting members and marketing to potential industry partners
  • Shop layout is open so visiting contractors can easily see all types of training provided
Construction of new Nashville training center to begin in 2021
"It will be a place where all our members will have access to the latest technology and training. We'll have more room to train in, and a nice site to bring contractors to. We'll hold open houses for surrounding high schools and vocational schools to increase recruitment. I believe it's also going to help us secure more work."
–Greg Williams, executive director, Mid-South Carpenters Training Trust Fund
Williams said the goal is to break ground by early January. The training center will be built on 4 acres of land located on Veterans Memorial Parkway, which connects to highly visible U.S. Hwy. 41 (Murfreesboro Highway) in Lavergne, Tennessee. The SSMRC provided a $300,000 grant to help purchase the property.
Fast Facts

Total square footage of new facility: 25,000

Total square footage of current facility: 10,000

Training equipment will include:
  • Computer room to do NANTeL training for nuclear power plants;
  • Two mechantronics/robot stations (will provide pre-requisite training for the UBC mechatronics course); and
  • A conveyor prop for training on floor conveyor and power and free monorail systems used in many manufacturing processes such as automotive and food and beverage.

Main benefits:
  • More space for training
  • Additional training opportunities
  • High-visibility location to help with recruiting members and marketing to potential industry partners
New Russellville, Arkansas, training center
Architect's renderings of new building
Current facility
"The main advantage will be more space. This will kind of be like moving from a hotel to a new house. We started in a small, two-room facility and moved to the current location, which is 10,000 square feet, and now we’re moving to a new building that's more than double that size."
–Ed Wright, training director, Arkansas/Oklahoma
Carpenters Apprenticeship and Training Program
Additional space is needed because of the growth of the apprenticeship program. The 4-acre site of the new Russellville training center is in a highly visible location close to the interstate. The SSMRC provided a $300,000 grant to help purchase the property. Construction is set to begin as soon as possible.
Fast Facts

Total square footage of new facility: 20,000-30,000

Total square footage of current facility: 10,000

In comparison to the current facility, the new building will include:

  • Additional classrooms, with state-of-the-art technology;
  • More training space; and
  • Extra administrative space for local offices.

Main benefits:
  • More space for classroom and hands-on training
  • Better facility to showcase to contractors and potential industry partners
  • High-visibility location to help with recruiting members and marketing to potential industry partners
New classroom building with auditorium planned for Florida training center
New welding booths installed in early 2020
"We’ve been providing some of the top training in the UBC, and now we'll have a facility that is comparable to the types of training we're providing and that allows members to see where their training contributions are going. We’ve been getting by with less for a long time, and to see the fruits of the hard work everyone has put in – that’s what I’m most proud of."
–Jimmie Jordan, director, Florida Carpenters Training Trust Fund

The current building on the Tampa training center's 5-acre site was built in the 1970s. It now houses expanded and upgraded training space, including new welding booths installed in early 2020. Classes are being held in portable buildings until the new facility is completed. The SSMRC has provided a $200,000 grant for the expansion.
Fast Facts

Total investment: $1.5 million to $2 million

Square footage of current classroom/admin space: 3,700

Square footage of new classroom/admin/auditorium facility: 12,000

Square footage of existing shop facility: 8,000

Square footage to be added to shop facility: 2,000 (for a total of 10,000 square feet)

The new building will include:
  • Four classrooms with the latest audio-visual technology and power outlets built into the floor for student use;
  • An auditorium for orientations and general-information classes;
  • A lunch break area; and
  • Additional office space.

Main benefits:
  • Plenty of space for the current size of the apprenticeship and continuing-training programs and room to significantly grow the programs
  • A more professional, state-of-the-art look to match the caliber of training the programs provide
Arlington, Texas, training center gets exterior upgrade, drainage repairs, and new training equipment
Architect's rendering of new façade
LEFT: Building before renovations; RIGHT: Drainage work in progress
Supporting structure for new conveyor-training equipment
"The building in Arlington is a very nice building. It has lots of space for training and it has wooden support beams – the same as the UBC training facility in Las Vegas. It just needed an upgrade, more curb appeal, because it’s a little dated. The new conveyor and robot equipment will help because a lot of our members work at the GM plant right down the road."
–Paul Jones, executive director,
Gulf Coast Carpenters & Millwrights Training Trust Fund
Renovations are underway and should be complete by the first of the year. This month, the Arlington training center received equipment for two mechatronics/robot stations. The supporting structure for the conveyor equipment was installed two weeks ago, and a class of students will begin installing the conveyor equipment this week.

The SSMRC contributed $500,000 toward the building upgrade and the new training equipment.
Fast Facts

Total investment: $800,000

Square footage of Arlington training center: 35,000

Construction date/type: The facility was built in the early 1980s using tilt-wall construction. Exterior walls are made of concrete.

The façade remodel will include:
  • Removal of wings and earthen berms that covered one-third of some walls
  • A complex drainage system to get water falling from roof away from building
  • Replacing wood on front of building
  • New signage, new paint in the beige, red, and blue UBC color scheme, and new landscaping

New equipment includes:
  • Two mechantronics/robot stations (will provide pre-requisite training for the UBC mechatronics course); and
  • A conveyor prop for training on floor conveyor and power and free monorail systems used in many manufacturing processes such as automotive and food and beverage.

Main benefits:
  • Additional training opportunities
  • Updated facility to showcase to contractors and potential industry partners