OSAGE COUNTY — A new 40,000-square-foot building featuring classrooms, demonstration space, and a well-equipped shop anchors State Technical College of Missouri’s Operations Complex, dedicated on Saturday, Oct. 24.

The complex houses Agricultural Operations and Heavy Equipment Operations and Management programs, bringing expanded facilities and hands-on learning opportunities to students preparing for careers in agriculture and construction.

State Tech President Dr. Shawn Strong said the complex includes the new building, the neighboring building, and the surrounding space.

The dedication marked another step in a campus transformation that Dr. Strong said has included renovating or constructing nearly 400,000 square feet over the past few years.

Dr. Strong credited the Missouri General Assembly and former Gov. Mike Parson for a $40 million investment supporting that transformation. He also recognized former U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer for helping secure USDA funding for the Operations Complex.

The expansion has accompanied continued enrollment growth, with State Tech setting an enrollment record for the 10th consecutive fall, Dr. Strong said.

Ben Baker, Missouri State Director for USDA Rural Development, said the agency’s investment of more than $3 million came through its Community Facilities Program and congressionally directed spending. “This facility really does reflect the role and what is possible when local vision and federal investment come together to create lasting opportunities for our rural areas,” Baker said.

Baker recognized Missouri’s congressional delegation, including U.S. Rep. Bob Onder, for helping secure federal resources to support students and the state’s agricultural economy.

The facility expands hands-on instruction in animal care and livestock management while providing space for future agriculture-related curricula and degree programs, Baker said. It also increases capacity for Agricultural Operations, including agribusiness and agricultural production. “These learning experiences will give students practical skills and align directly with the needs of the employers, producers, and rural communities in our state,” he added.

Baker also thanked USDA staff members involved in the project, including Melody Roach, whom Strong said had worked with the college on it for approximately two years.

Alan Reinkemeyer, representing the Associated General Contractors of Missouri, described the complex as an investment in the construction workforce.

The association represents more than 500 construction companies across Missouri, Reinkemeyer said, including employers who hire State Tech graduates.

Reinkemeyer recalled a board meeting on campus approximately 10 or 11 years earlier, when the college faced major funding cuts. “Times weren’t as good. We were looking at big funding cuts,” Reinkemeyer said. “None of this here existed. And we asked (Dr. Strong), we said, ‘What’s your plan? What’s your plan for the future?’ He said, ‘We’re going to grow our way out of this.’”

Reinkemeyer congratulated Dr. Strong, the Board of Regents, faculty, staff, and students on the college’s progress.

“But today is about more than just cutting a ribbon and opening a new building. It’s about investing in the people, creating opportunities, and building the future workforce that we need in Missouri’s construction industry,” he said.

AGC and its member contractors support State Tech through industry involvement, financial contributions, scholarships, equipment donations, and ongoing partnerships, Reinkemeyer said.

He encouraged prospective and current students to apply for the association’s scholarships, saying it distributes approximately $125,000 annually. State Tech’s AGC student chapter also connects students with contractors through discussions, job site tours, and industry events.

Reinkemeyer pointed to Interstate 70 construction, other highway projects, and data center investments as examples of demand for skilled workers. “There’s something special about driving across the bridge or driving down a highway that you built or passing a major construction project and being able to tell your family, ‘I helped build that.’ And several years from now, when you get older and you do that, it really means something to you. That’s a sense of pride that our industry offers every single day,” he said. “To the students here today, I want you to know that our member contractors need you. They’re looking for talented, motivated young people who are willing to learn, work hard, and take pride in what they do.”

The ceremony concluded with a ribbon raising that incorporated both programs. Students operating front-end loaders lifted the ribbon so a month-old female bottle calf named Teeny could be led beneath it, following a bottle.