Castle & Cooke North Carolina Donates
Land for Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s
Advanced Technology Center
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College has received a two acre donation of land from Mr. David H. Murdock, chairman, CEO and president of Castle & Cooke, Inc. and NC Research Campus founder, for construction of the Advanced Technology Center. The donation allows the two organizations to strengthen their workforce development partnership at the NC Research Campus and throughout the region.
The new Advanced Technology Center (ATC), a 60,000-square-foot classroom and laboratory building, will be adjacent to the college’s existing facility on the NC Research Campus (NCRC) that offers associate degrees in biotechnology and nursing. David H. Murdock, chairman, CEO and president of Castle & Cooke, Inc. and NCRC founder, made a donation of two acres of land for the construction of the ATC in recognition of the important role workforce development plays in supporting businesses in the region, including the NCRC, that are transferring scientific and technical advances into the global marketplace.
“On behalf of the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Board of Trustees,” commented Carl M. Short, chair of the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Board of Trustees, “I sincerely thank David Murdock for generously providing land for the Advanced Technology Center on the NC Research Campus. The location will leverage the resources of the North Carolina Research Campus with the College’s history of workforce development to bring wonderful new opportunities to our region.”
The ATC will provide industry-recognized certifications, hands-on skills and customized training and support services to address the educational needs of companies with high technology demands and in emerging fields.
“The Advanced Technology Center will be a flagship to attract employers to the region and will allow the College to bring a higher level of training and education to the community, increasing participation in high-wage jobs,” emphasized Dr. Carol S. Spalding, president of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. “Employment in advanced technology is constantly evolving and this facility will allow us to ensure that the local workforce remains qualified and current, key components of economic development.”
Castle & Cooke North Carolina Vice President of Operations Mark Spitzer added, “As a result of Mr. Murdock’s generosity, we at Castle & Cooke are proud to support the addition of the ATC which will enhance the campus’ role not only as a premier center of scientific research, but as an engine for workforce and economic advancement for Kannapolis and the surrounding region.”
The concept for the ATC originated from interviews with experts in information technology, energy, manufacturing, construction and healthcare fields, along with conversations with other local colleges, economic development leaders and futurists from the local service region. Funding for the ATC was approved by Cabarrus County residents in the 2014 Rowan-Cabarrus bond referendum with over 64 percent of the vote.
“We are proud to provide the additional funding for the state-of-the-art educational space,” said Steve Morris, chair of the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners and member of the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Board of Trustees. “The community’s overwhelming support verified that our community values the educational opportunities that the center brings. It is a game-changer for our region as we strive to strengthen our economic and workforce development.”
In addition to the funding from Cabarrus County and the land donation from David Murdock, the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Foundation is supporting the ATC, and the College is exploring grants and donations to provide equipment for the training. The College will also pursue partnerships with local and national suppliers for laboratories and programs.
“We are working diligently to revolutionize our economic development environment and the ATC is one more piece of the puzzle we need on the North Carolina Research Campus,” said Kannapolis Mayor Darrell Hinnant. “By capitalizing on our partnerships with Mr. Murdock and Rowan-Cabarrus, we are developing more job and educational opportunities for people of all ages in Kannapolis. We will now have the complete spectrum on the campus – research to cutting edge manufacturing. We cannot wait for the doors to open.”
About Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
Opening its doors in 1963, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is one of 58 colleges in the state-supported North Carolina Community College System. Rowan-Cabarrus is a comprehensive, community-focused institution of higher learning, serving the residents of Rowan and Cabarrus counties at multiple campus locations and through online programs. Rowan-Cabarrus offers fully-accredited associate degree programs in more than 55 areas of study, including arts and sciences, business, information technology, health and public services, engineering technologies, and biotechnology. Rowan-Cabarrus provides more than 2,000 course offerings, serving a yearly overall enrollment of more than 22,000 students. In addition, Rowan-Cabarrus provides the education and job-training programs needed to meet many of the workforce demands of the North Carolina Research Campus being developed in Kannapolis.
About Castle & Cooke North Carolina
Castle & Cooke North Carolina (CCNC) is the developer of the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, NC and manages rental and entertainment venues including Irish Creek Country Club and Forty Six, a healthful restaurant, both in Kannapolis. CCNC is a division of Castle & Cooke, Inc., a global company that manages and develops residential, resort and industrial real estate as well as owns Flexi-Van leasing, brick and building materials manufacturing, processing plants and aviation services.
About the North Carolina Research Campus
The university, corporate, health care and technology partners of the North Carolina Research Campus, a development of Castle & Cooke North Carolina, merge research in nutrition, agriculture, human health, food safety and post-harvest technologies for healthier and safer fruits, vegetables, functional foods and natural ingredients and the advancement of targeted nutrition and personalized medicine.
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