Alro Steel Donates $100,000 to SFCC’s Capital Campaign

The State Fair Community College Foundation has received $100,000 from Alro Steel for its Stronger Workforce, Greater Community capital campaign to fund the Olen Howard Workforce Innovation Center.

This new building, which opened on June 9, on the Sedalia campus expanded the college’s capacity to meet the growing demand for technical workforce training and strengthen the communities it serves.

“Alro Steel is proud to support the Olen Howard Workforce Innovation Center which will help State Fair Community College students prepare for a future in manufacturing, welding and precision machining,” said Randy Glick, CEO of Alro Steel.

Alro Steel was founded in 1948 by brothers Al and Robert Glick. The company is a distributor of metals, industrial supplies, and engineering plastics. Alro is focused on offering cut-to-size metals and plastics with next day delivery to over 50,000 customers in North America. Alro operates over 70 locations in 13 states and provides a broad inventory of products under the following companies: Alro Steel, Alro Metals, Alro Metals Outlet, Alro Industrial Supply, and Alro Plastics. Learn more at www.alro.com/news.

“We are most grateful to Alro Steel for its support of our goal to increase SFCC’s welding and precision machining training capacity,” said Mary Treuner, SFCC’s foundation executive director. “With this generous gift, the college is pleased and proud to name the welding grinding room for Alro Steel, which will greatly benefit our students in this program. Before, students had to grind their fabrications outside because there was no dedicated space for grinding inside.”

The campaign, Stronger Workforce, Greater Community: A Capital Campaign for the Olen Howard Workforce Innovation Center and Center for Excellence began in December 2020. The new center sits on the site of SFCC’s original buildings, affectionately known as Plywood U. Information about the project and how to contribute is available at www.sfccmo.edu/OHWIC.

The new workforce training center adds more space for labs and classrooms for the welding and precision machining programs. The next phase of the capital campaign involves renovations to Fielding Technical Center that will provide a Center for Excellence for industrial technology, leadership and supervisory skills and logistics training; space for the new pre-apprenticeship program; and a climate, refrigeration and energy control (HVAC) lab, and an advanced manufacturing and robotics lab.

In the photo: Alro Steel officials presented a $100,000 donation to the State Fair Community College Foundation’s capital campaign for the Olen Howard Workforce Innovation Center on the Sedalia campus. The presentation took place inside the Alro Steel welding grinding room in the new workforce innovation center. From left, Steve Ellebracht, SFCC Foundation vice president and campaign co-chair; Kevin Berkbigler, Alro Steel of Sedalia general manager; Jenny Harms, Alro Steel of Sedalia inside sales manager; Dr. Brent Bates, SFCC vice president for Educational and Student Support Services; Dr. Joanna Anderson, SFCC president; Joe Fischer, SFCC Foundation president and campaign co-chair; and Mary Treuner, SFCC Foundation executive director.