Vulcan Materials Company and industry partners raise more than $66,000 for Tri-County’s Heavy Equipment program
January 22, 2020
Last fall Vulcan Materials Company spearheaded efforts to raise more than $66,000 to support Tri-County Technical College’s Heavy Equipment Operator training program.
Vulcan, in conjunction with 50 industry partners across the state, raised $66,561 at its second annual South Carolina Clay Shoot October 8 at the Clinton House Plantation.
The 2019 Clay Shoot sponsors ($1500 – $3500) included:
Blanchard Machinery, Mellott Company, NORX, South Carolina Aggregates Association (SCAA), Vulcan Materials, Blythe, JC Wilkie, LLC, King Asphalt, Lehigh Hanson, Sloan Construction, Nelson Brothers, LLC, Bridgestone, Herbert Anderson Jr. Construction, Linder Industrial Machinery, Lindler’s Construction of SC, LLC, Macemore, Inc., McClam & Associates, Metromont, Motion Industries and Thomas Concrete.
The 2019 Clay Shoot sponsors ($500 – $1000) included:
Concrete Supply Company, Contour Mining & Const., LLC, FLSmidth (Excel), Kerns Trucking, Inc., McCarthy Tire, Morgan Corporation, Superior Cranes, Inc., Upland Wings, Archer United JV, Carolina Ready Mixed Concrete Assoc (CRMCA), CR Jackson, Holder Padgett Littlejohn & Prickett, LLC, Satterfield Construction, Southway Crane & Rigging, Applied Industrial Tech/Continental/Loctite, Austin Powder, Auto Lube Services, Crowe’s Corporate Promotions, JC Griffin Construction LLC, LA Barrier & Son, Paschal Associates, LLC, American Materials Company, Elite Trucking of SC, LLC, Jim Belt, Inc., NW White, Ray Walker Trucking Co., Inc., Rinker Materials, Rogers Group, SCAPA, Stutts & Williams and Vibra-Tech.
Prompted by a need to secure employees with a specific skill set, Vulcan Materials organized the first clay shoot fundraiser in 2018 to raise money to purchase equipment for the College’s Heavy Equipment Operator program.
The inaugural event raised $47,000, and those proceeds were used to match the College’s capital expense funds to obtain a $235,705 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to launch the training program.
The national credential-based Heavy Equipment Operator training is meeting the critical workforce needs in road construction, commercial construction, mining, and transportation companies in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties.
“The goal of Tri-County’s Heavy Equipment Operator program is to serve as a talent pipeline for the construction and mining industries that are facing the loss of a large population of skilled operators who are preparing to retire in the next several years,” said Mike Sanders, transportation program manager for Tri-County’s Corporate and Community Education Division (CCE).
“Graduates of our program can begin to train for these jobs in all facets of the construction and mining industries. This is the first step in a career pathway that, over time, can lead to a lucrative lifetime profession,” added Sanders.
“With just an eight-week training commitment, these individuals will be qualified for in-demand, entry-level jobs,” said Dr. Rick Cothran, dean of the College’s CCE Division.
“There is not another Heavy Equipment Operator training program in the Upstate,” said Dr. Cothran. “Tri-County’s program will give individuals the basic skills so they can understand and learn to safely operate heavy equipment.”
