A North Carolina community college to build new transportation tech facility
Southeastern Community College will build a new Transportation Technology/STEM Facility in Whiteville, North Carolina. The facility is designed to help the college meet current and future workforce needs in one of the state’s fastest-changing industries.
The $22 million, 21,000-sf facility will support the college’s automotive systems technology, diesel maintenance training, and truck driver training programs that offer six degree and certificate programs. Located on newly acquired land away from the college’s main campus, the building will create a highly visible, purpose-built workforce training hub for transportation technology education.
The facility responds to a central planning challenge facing many community colleges: how to train students for emerging technologies without abandoning the skills employers still need today. The building will support traditional automotive, diesel, and CDL instruction, while preparing the college to expand training around electric vehicles, diagnostics, and future transportation technologies.
Key project elements include several EV-ready automotive bays, along with 12 additional auto bays that can be retrofitted to meet EV requirements. The building includes high-bay lab space with increased clearances for 18-wheelers and specialized training equipment, a dedicated dyno lab for vehicle performance testing, and a CDL lab equipped with 10 vehicle lifts to support maintenance and inspections of 18-wheeler trucks while also serving as diesel program space. There are also three classrooms in the facility.
The dyno lab will allow students to measure engine and vehicle power, torque, and performance under controlled conditions, supporting hands-on instruction in diagnostics, tuning, and performance testing. Two of the classrooms are located side by side with a movable partition to support flexible instruction, while a third computer classroom includes specialized equipment for vehicle diagnostics.
The building’s design balances durability, visibility, and adaptability. Durable, cleanable materials were selected for active technical training environments, while glass walls put hands-on learning on display. The equipment is built to adapt to evolving technologies.
On the project team:
Owner and/or developer: Southeastern Community College
Design architect: McMillan Pazdan Smith
Architect of record: McMillan Pazdan Smith
MEP Engineer – RMF Engineering
Structural Engineer – Stanley D. Lindsey and Associates
General contractor/construction manager: Barnhill Building Group
