SGTC to host ribbon cutting on Morgan Diesel and Automotive Complex

South Georgia Technical College will be hosting a ribbon cutting on the newly renovated and expanded Morgan Diesel and Automotive Complex on the Americus campus, Thursday, March 29th at 11 a.m. at the Morgan Diesel and Automotive Complex building on Transportation Drive. The public is invited to attend.
“We would like to thank Governor Nathan Deal and the State Legislature, especially former state representative Mike Cheokas, for the $3.45 million in additional funding that allowed South Georgia Technical College to renovate and expand the existing Diesel Technology Building and the Morgan Transportation Center which housed the Diesel, Automotive Technology, and Automotive Collision Repair Technology programs,” said South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford.
“Diesel Technology is one of Governor Deal’s Hope Career Grant or Strategic Workforce Development initiatives and the additional $3.45 million has allowed us to renovate and expand our facilities to provide students with a state-of-the-art Diesel and Automotive Center,” explained Dr. Watford. “The funding was secured in 2014 – 2015 and the construction began in late 2016. The building was completed during the 2017 – 2018 school year. The Automotive and Diesel programs at South Georgia Technical College are one of the five largest in enrollment on the Americus campus.
Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) Commissioner Matt Arthur, SGTC President Dr. John Watford, and former state representative Mike Cheokas will be the featured speakers at the ribbon cutting. Rev. Bill Dupree will offer the invocation. Tours of the building and a luncheon for special guests will be held immediately following the ribbon cutting.
The $3.45 million allowed the college to completely renovate the Morgan building which was built in 1957 and the Diesel Equipment Technology Building which was constructed in 1996. In addition to renovating the combined 36,700 sq. ft. of space in those two buildings, the funding also allowed the college to construct an additional 14,000 sq. ft. of classroom and lab space. The new construction connected the two buildings into one state-of-the-art Diesel and Automotive complex.
The Morgan building was originally named after the late South Georgia Technical College Aviation Maintenance Instructor W. Dave Morgan. Morgan was employed by South Georgia Trade and Vocational Institute in 1947 before the school opened. The World War II instructor pilot at Souther Field was one of the initial aviation maintenance instructor’s instrumental in beginning the aircraft mechanic program when the school first opened in 1948. His son, David Morgan, of Perry, is scheduled to be at the ribbon cutting.