A $3 million budget established Jan. 1 for State Tech’s MoExcels project to remodel the Heavy Equipment Operations (HEO) and Multipurpose buildings received an additional $200,000 in funding from the MoExcels grant, thanks to equipment donations.

The college received equipment donations from Ditch Witch, in the amount of $1.2 million, and Vermeer Midwest, which provided $750,000 in equipment.

“Both of these generous donations will provide great learning opportunities for our students, and we are very grateful to both organizations,” said Vice President of Advancement Shannon M. Grus.

Regents by a 5-0 vote Thursday approved a change in scope as part of the grant, which allowed the original $1.8 million reserved for equipment to be increased to $2.7 million.

State Tech President Dr. Shawn Strong told Regents last year that 39 proposals totaling $74.8 million were submitted for consideration through MoExcels, and the Coordinating Board for Higher Education approved $53,451,710 for workforce initiatives designed to target state and regional workforce needs.

State Tech’s Infrastructure Technician Education was selected by Gov. Mike Parson, and included in the budget at $3 million.

The MoExcels initiative will allow the college to increase enrollment in current infrastructure-related programs, create a new Civil Construction Technology program and center, which will conjoin the HEO and Multipurpose buildings, and together, will take the place of several job trailers that once served as a temporary fix to capacity concerns. These buildings will house a larger roster than the trailers, reflecting an optimism that State Tech will return to in-person classes with a greater number of students. State Tech has surpassed its enrollment record in the past three years, with currently more than 1,700 students enrolled. 

State Tech expects to have 75 students in the HEO program in the next two years, and with the renovation and expansion of the buildings will allow for more classroom space as well as indoor training areas for the heavy equipment.

“If we need to get everyone together, we will have that option,” said State Tech Marketing Director Brandon McElwain, who provided a tour of the project on Friday.

The campus was alive with busy hammering on rooftops and the sound of heavy machinery, though the usual student life at State Tech is non-existent as classes moved to an online forum due to the virus.

McElwain shared an impressive number of items improving the cosmetics and functionality of the college.

New overhead glass doors shed light on the HEO building-turned-construction-site. These doors will allow entrance of heavy machinery for construction trades students. Also housed in the HEO building stands a new Caterpillar trainer, which will provide an opportunity to virtually operate a Caterpillar machine and allow a safe experience opportunities for students once they return to campus.

Other improvements in the renovation process are numerous up-to-code restrooms; the addition of locker rooms for construction students to clean-up in after a long day of physical work; new furniture; and an abundance of new paint on the walls — embracing school spirit with blue-and-white and signaling that this place will be prepared to warmly welcome back students come fall 2020.

Recent graduate from State Tech, Cody Meyer, works on the project as part of the Verslues construction team. Earning a degree in civil engineering in December, Meyer bolted up the final steel beam for the structure of the multi-purpose building right before he accepted his diploma. Meyer’s involvement in the renovation directly after his graduation reinforces State Tech’s mission of providing profitable employment and a life of learning, with a coming-full-circle moment as he transitions from learning in these buildings to working on them.   

Multiple projects underway at State Tech in Linn prove to be advancing steadily, despite the widespread slowdown elsewhere caused by the pandemic. Gov. Mike Parson broke ground on campus Jan. 30, officially kicking off operations, which are expected to be completed by June 15.

A project to build a Safety Village is also under way on 30 acres east of the main campus, and will upon completion expand the Utility Systems Technician program, which focuses mainly on broadband communications to include additional instruction on natural gas, water and wastewater utilities, add new global navigation satellite systems information systems, equip infrastructure-related programs, and renovating the multi-purpose building to create natural gas, water, wastewater, civil construction, classrooms, and labs for program expansion.

The Utility Technology Center will be the new home for State Tech’s Electrical Distribution Systems (EDS) program, Utility Technician program, Nuclear Technology program, and a Utility Locating training area. The project also includes a 20-thousand square-foot indoor climbing and boring lab.

Missouri One Call got the ball rolling with a donation to the college last November for the development of the Safety Village.

Linn native John Lansford, who serves as Missouri One Call’s executive director, said at the January groundbreaking that five years ago, when the project first was conceptualized, it was noted on a national level that for the first time, the main issue was not failure to contact Missouri One Call prior to digging; the main issue was labeled, “Excavation Practices Not Sufficient,” which Lansford said includes a lot of things.

“We talked about it and found out it was going to be an education thing, and we’re not educators,” Lansford said.

The first step was to contact long-time HEO Instructor Matt Fick, who shared his enthusiasm for a Safety Village. That led to the department chair, Kevin Spurgeon, which in turn led to Dean of Instruction Janet Clanton.

Lansford said the Missouri One Call’s board of directors, represented by all utilities, has been in support of the initiative the whole way.

The big question was how much it would cost, which Clanton estimated at $100,000.

State Tech Regent Bob Sellenriek, who serves as an advisor on the Missouri One Call board, ran with the idea from the perspective of the contractors who would be involved.

Lansford said that between Missouri One Call and contractors, more than $500,000 has been invested in this project.

“That’s how important it is,” Lansford added. “All this has come together because of communication and passion. If anyone has met [Dr. Strong], his passion is ridiculous. He grabbed this thing with his people and they made this whole thing work.”

With continued growth, parking was a concern, but the college addressed it with a repaving project at the Osage County Community Center. A new parking lot is also planned for the soon-to-be-finished UTC. All told, the college will create an additional 300 parking spots with these improvements.