Wayne Community College held a grand opening of its new Center for Industrial Technology and Engineering (CITE), where over 100 elected officials, donors, community members, employees, and students gathered to celebrate the occasion.
The event featured a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open WCC’s newest state-of-the-art building, now the second largest building on campus.
CITE is home to many of the programs in WCC’s Applied Technologies division, including Computer-Integrated Machining, HVAC, Industrial Systems Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Mechatronics Engineering Technology, and Operations Management.
WCC President Patty Pfeiffer highlighted the event’s significance for current and future WCC students. “We know their futures are bright, and the training they receive in CITE is certain to have a direct impact on the success of our local industries, benefitting all of us,” she said.
CITE is nearly 42,000 square feet and contains classrooms, lab spaces, a machine shop, flexible use space, and faculty offices. It serves college-credit students and those in Workforce Continuing Education Services.
Formally known as the Jeffreys Family Center for Industrial Technology and Engineering, the naming of CITE was made possible by donations from William and Ellen Bland and Robert Jeffreys.
Scott Newton, chair of the Foundation of WCC Board of Directors, thanked the Jeffreys family for investing in students’ futures. “Thanks to their support, every student who walks through these doors will be able to hone their skills in a place of progress and innovation,” he said.
WCC alumnus Caleb Demarest offered a unique perspective as a Mechanical Engineering Technology student who took classes in other buildings before moving into CITE. He said CITE feels like home to Applied Technologies students as it provides the space they need to succeed. “That sense of ownership in this building transfers into elevated ownership in our projects,” he said, adding that the more modern technology took WCC’s programs to “a completely new level.”
The building project was completed by architecture firm Boomerang Design with construction by T. A. Loving Company. Groundbreaking for CITE occurred in May of 2023 with full occupancy of the building beginning in January of 2025.
David Philyaw, president of T. A. Loving Company, said WCC’s student success is essential to many local businesses that rely on their skillsets in the workforce. “We are proud supporters and investors in the continued growth and success of Wayne Community College,” he said. “Congratulations on a wonderful and much-needed facility, and thank you for allowing us to be a part of it.”
As one of CITE’s donors, Golden LEAF Foundation President Scott Hamilton spoke about his organization’s mission to increase economic opportunity. “Golden LEAF is proud to be a part of this project that’s going to provide students with quality careers in advanced manufacturing and related industries,” he said. “I’ve always said that a job equals hope, opportunity, and dignity, and this training facility is going to provide that for a number of students for years to come.”
Assistant County Manager Ginger Moore read remarks on behalf of Wayne County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Barbara Aycock, who believes the training in CITE will help the county achieve its goal for economic development. “This facility is a direct pipeline from the classroom to the factory floor and from training labs to high-tech jobs,” she said.
Ven Faulk, chair of the WCC Board of Trustees, thanked everyone who attended the grand opening ceremony. “CITE is a place where education and industry meet, and I look forward to seeing how our future workforce and economy are shaped by the training that takes place inside these walls,” he said.
About Wayne Community College
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves around 10,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 150 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.