A topping out celebration was held on Dec. 11 at Greenville Technical College’s Center for Welding and Automation Excellence.
"Topping out" is a ritual to celebrate the safe completion of a structure — one with roots reaching back for centuries. Thursday's celebration marked placement of the last steel beam on the facility, signifying that the building had reached its maximum height.
The 44,000 square foot facility is expected to open in Fall 2026, aiming to address the critical welding shortage head-on. Currently, there are 400,000 welding job openings nationwide and only one new welder prepared to enter the workforce for every four who retire or leave the field.
“In this space, we will prepare the next generation of welders with AI powered welding systems, robotic welding, and other future-focused tools,” said Larry Miller, president of Greenville Technical College. “The building promises to be a game-changer for the welding sector just as our Center for Manufacturing Innovation has been for advanced manufacturing and our Prisma Health Center for Health & Life Sciences has become for health care.”
According to officials with the college, this facility was made possible with $15 million from the South Carolina General Assembly. It will be outfitted with $3 million in equipment thanks to the federal government.
In addition, Fluor has named the main welding lab with a generous gift, a donation from Vermeer MV Solutions allows naming of the MIG Welding Lab, Orbis has made a contribution that places their name on the student breakroom, and Thompson Turner has funded the naming of a conference room. Additional spaces in the building are available for naming by contacting the Greenville Tech Foundation.
On the ground floor, the facility will feature classrooms and labs infused with the latest instructional technology. An artificial intelligence welding lab will serve as a hands-on demonstration space where AI-powered welding systems will be utilized to improve precision, efficiency and quality in welding processes.
A Robotics Welding Lab will allow students to master the limitless possibilities of automated welding. A Non-Destructive Testing Lab will showcase the essential role of inspection and testing in ensuring the integrity and reliability of welded structures. MIG, pipe and laser welding labs will provide students with cutting-edge training. Learning spaces will be expanded, increasing capacity from four robotic welding stations to 16 and increasing total welding stations from 90 to 140.
In addition to breakout rooms for group work or industry partnership meetings as well as dedicated study space, the building’s second floor will feature expansive windows overlooking the training taking place below. This overhead viewing area will provide a unique way for visitors, students and industry partners to observe the facility.
