A dedication of Meridian Community College's new weldingtechnology center Friday morning marks the official completion of the project that is being touted as one of the top welding training facilities in the state.

    Lt. Governor Tate Reeves is scheduled to speak at Meridian Community College’s dedication of its new welding technology center Friday morning.

    Ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. at MCC’s Workforce Development Center on Highway 19 North. The public is invited to attend.

    The facility will enable MCC to more than triple its capacity to train welding students, school officials said. The $1.5 million, 11,500-square foot metal structure, located on the north side of the Workforce Development Center, was donated to MCC by 31-year college trustee Tommy Dulaney. Funding for its erection, equipment, and additions was provided by Lauderdale County.

    Its proper name will be “The Structural Steel Services Welding Technology Center” in honor of the local steel fabrication company owned by  Dulaney.

    “We are excited about the dedication of our welding center,” said Dr. Scott Elliott, MCC president. “It will be one of the top welding training facilities in the state – no doubt. Having Lt. Governor Reeves on campus for the ceremony will make the dedication even more special. We look forward to acknowledging the people who made this project possible.”

    Elliott said naming the facility in honor of Structural Steel Services is symbolic of several things.

    “First and foremost,” Elliott said, “no one has been more committed to MCC over the years than Mr. Dulaney. He is an alumnus of MCC, an inaugural member of the college’s Hall of Fame, a longtime member of the MCC Foundation Board of Directors, and the longest serving trustee in the institution’s history. He has enthusiastically supported the college with his time and personal resources. To my knowledge, the welding building is the largest in-kind donation in the college’s history.”

    “Moreover,” Elliott added, “Structural Steel Services is a shining example of entrepreneurship at its best – something for which Meridian has been noted over the generations. Structural Steel employs hundreds of people in this region, giving those folks an opportunity to provide well for their families and contribute back to our community. It started with a vision by an extraordinary man who had the work ethic, competence and courage to turn his dream into a reality. Mr. Dulaney has repeatedly acknowledged the training he received at Meridian Junior College as one of the foundations for his success. That acknowledgment has always enhanced the college’s esteem and credibility.”

    Another Structural Steel executive, Tony Dean, also contributed mightily to the project, according to Elliott.

    “Tony provided us with the hands-on perspective from industry that guided the design of the facility,” Elliott said. “Our vision from the beginning was to establish a welding training facility that mirrored a real-world industry experience as best as possible. Tony invested a lot of hours working with our staff and the project architect, B.B. Archer, to make certain that we accomplished that goal. MCC can’t thank Tony enough.”

    The donation and design of the building itself, however, were just two components of the project. Elliott said the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors “stepped up to the plate” beginning in fiscal year 2009, providing targeted support for the continued development of workforce training initiatives at MCC.

    “The college has held those monies from the county in trust since fiscal year 2009 until we had enough to fund a project of the magnitude of the welding center,” Elliott explained. “So, I want to express our appreciation to the Board of Supervisors for their support and, of course, to the taxpayers of Lauderdale County. I believe this facility will prove a worthy investment for the taxpayers. Welders are in high demand, and they make attractive wages. So, I hope MCC will be graduating a number of people in that field who can work in this region and become productive members of the community.”