Representatives from Southwire presented a check for $200,000 to the West Georgia Technical College Foundation last Friday to support student scholarships in Carroll County and the college’s Adult Education division.

"Partnerships with local business and industry are such a vital part of our mission at West Georgia Technical College," WGTC President Steve G. Daniel said. “Southwire has been one of our most dedicated and consistent partners for a long part of our history as a college.”

Southwire CEO Rich Stinson presented the check – which represents a three-year commitment to the college’s foundation – to Daniel in the Southwire Center for Manufacturing Excellence at West Georgia Tech’s Carroll Campus following a breakfast reception.

Stinson said he’s excited to continue Southwire’s partnership with West Georgia Tech.

“As we look at the reality of the skilled trade shortage and the effect it has on the future of our business and our community, it is extremely important that we continue to invest in education, both monetarily and through specialized programs, like our maintenance apprenticeship,” Stinson said. “President Steve Daniel and his team are taking positive steps to help bridge the skilled trade gap, and we are proud to support these efforts.”

Also present from the Carrollton-based company were Kathleen Edge, Executive Vice President of Human Resources, and Tom Heberling, Senior Vice President of Power Systems and Solutions Manufacturing.

Daniel said the college’s partnership with Southwire is a “shining example” of how business and industry can work with higher education to give students a chance to learn and be ready to enter the workforce from day one.

“Many of our students wouldn’t be able to attend our college without scholarships, which in large part are donated to us by industry partners like Southwire,” Daniel said. “Last year, we awarded more than $100,000 in 153 different scholarships, thanks to the partnerships we’ve grown with industries like this amazing company. It’s our strength as an institution and the strength of what we do.”