Troy snags $1 million training center

By Michelle Wilson

A delegation of area Alabama Legislators announced a $1 million bond issue Monday to build a training center at Lockheed Martin in Troy.

The funding will provide for construction of the training center at Lockheed Martin and a video conferencing network between the facility and Troy State University.

Sen. "Walking" Wendell Mitchell (D.-Luverne), Sen. Jimmy Holley (D.-Elba) and Rep. Alan Boothe (D.-Troy) were joined by Randy Stevenson, plant manager of Lockheed Martin’s Troy facility, in making the announcement. The press conference was held at the Pike County Chamber of Commerce at 3 p.m. Monday.

The training center will be a cooperative effort among Pike County, the City of Troy, Troy State University and Lockheed Martin, Holley said. It will be used to teach workers and management the skills they need to construct the missiles produced by Lockheed.

The funding came from the legislation for the Honda plant incentives, Boothe said. Of the $89 million the legislature funded in the bond issue, only $1 million came to South Alabama. That is the money Troy received, he said.

"This is very significant in these times of tight money," Boothe said.

Although the training center and video conferencing network will be established between Lockheed and TSU, its use will not be limited to the two businesses.

"This training center will provide for the possibility that more industries will locate in Troy, which will provide jobs," Holley said. "When you have a way to train employees, the jobs follow."

Mitchell said the idea for the training center began when representatives from Lockheed Martin and Troy State University met with him and expressed an interest in the project.

"Training centers don’t happen often and aren’t cheap," Mitchell said. "We really tried to help find funding."