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Piedmont Technical College has received a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration for the construction of the Upstate Center for Manufacturing Excellence at the Greenwood campus. The project is expected to create 86 jobs and spur more than $16 million in private investment, according to the college.

This project will construct and provide the necessary infrastructure needed to establish the new manufacturing training center, which will be approximately 45,000 square feet in size. The facility will allow the college to expand its workforce training offerings in support of advanced manufacturing to meet the demands of the region’s industries, according to a news release.

The center will be named in honor of the late S.C. Sen. William “Billy” O’Dell, according to information on the Piedmont Tech website. CNC, machine tool, mechatronic and welding classes will be housed in the center, which will include classrooms and lab space to support workforce development.