(SMYRNA, TN) The Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting on the Motlow State Community College's Smyrna campus Tuesday morning. Not only did it celebrate the school's 50th anniversary, but also the grand opening of building 3.

The structure has 82,000 square feet of space and cost $28-million. The project also demonstrates the power of collaboration and cooperation between the public and private sectors.

"The public-private partnerships fueling the capacity-building we are witnessing at Motlow are powerful," said Dr. Michael Torrence, Motlow president. "Together, we are expanding our ability to produce an educated workforce that will attract new industries and better jobs. While we gather to mark the completion of this important construction project, the real celebration centers on the capacity we are building to do great things together."

Key supporters of the project are the town of Smyrna, as well as the Rutherford County Commission and the Industrial Development Board, both of which have made multi-year funding pledges. Additional contributors include the city of LaVergne, the John D. Floyd Foundation, The Clayton Family Foundation, Motlow College Foundation, and countless businesses and individuals from the Rutherford County area and surrounding communities.

The new building is yet another milestone for Motlow, one of the fastest-growing colleges in the nation that has seen double-digit percentage increases in Smyrna enrollment since 2015. The project triples classroom space and parking space on the campus.

"The opening of Smyrna Building 3 means that more students will be able to attend a high-quality community college while having access to free tuition through the Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect programs.," said Dr. Greg Killough, Motlow Smyrna academic dean.

"The increased number of graduates we will produce means that our local industry will have the workers needed to produce more products and services. This productivity will fuel a stronger local economy that leads to more financially stable families. What others may see as new brick-and-mortar is a gateway to a better quality of life for scores of Tennessee households."

Smyrna Building 3 will house 32 classrooms equipped with the latest technology and seven labs, over 50 faculty and staff offices, the campus library and bookstore, a one-stop center for student services such as admissions and financial aid, student lounges, and a multi-purpose area capable of seating up to 300.

Naming opportunities for this new facility are available and donations can be earmarked through the Motlow College Foundation. Contact Lane Yoder at 931-393-1692 or lyoder@mscc.edu for more information.

"Our architect firm, TMPartners, PLLC, and construction firm, Messer Construction, have done an outstanding job with this state-of-the-art building. We could not be more pleased with the final result and we are grateful for their expertise and partnership with this project," said Lane Yoder, executive director, Motlow College Foundation.