(PIEDMONT TRIAD, N.C.) January 19: – Seizing upon an opportunity to expand the reach of the North Carolina Center for Global Logistics (NCCGL), the Piedmont Triad Partnership (PTP) today announced an agreement with a group of four Triad community colleges to undertake management of the center effective July 1.

The center will operate under the leadership of Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) in partnership with three community colleges in Davidson, Forsyth and Randolph counties, as well as the PTP.

The Piedmont Triad region is recognized as a prime location for world-class logistics companies that employee some 67,000 people or about 10% of the region’s workforce, and the sector is expected to continue to grow. Housing the logistics center within the higher education system will be a boon to the long-term economic prospects of the region’s growing logistics infrastructure.

“Locating the management of the NC Center for Global Logistics at GTCC is good for the entire Piedmont Triad region because it enhances an on-going collaboration between the business community and the region’s higher education institutions,” said David Powell, president and CEO of the Piedmont Triad Partnership. “The transition is in alignment with our role to promote regional economic development and to develop a competitive growth strategy. The Caterpillar opening with representation from Forsyth Tech shows the value of an engaged, targeted educational program.”

“The center is an essential element in preparing the Piedmont Triad workforce for competition in the global marketplace. My goal is for NCCGL to be recognized across the state, country and world as the leading logistics center on the eastern seaboard.” says GTCC President Randy Parker. “To accomplish this we need to create a world-class workforce through education and skills development in the field of logistics. No organizations are better suited to do this than the four partnering community colleges that have been nationally recognized for their workforce development standards.”

Under the agreement, GTCC will partner with three higher education institutions: Davidson County Community College, Forsyth Technical Community College, and Randolph County Community College. GTCC and its partners will establish the center’s priorities and plan of work. Funding for the center will be provided through a mix of funds generated by course offerings, and self-supporting activities such as consulting, membership dues, and grants.

An Advisory Board representing business, economic development and civic leadership will provide input on the Center’s annual program of work and curriculum offerings. Mike Herman, president of Best Services, Inc. will chair the new advisory board. “The foundation of logistics operations in the

Piedmont Triad is strong,” says Herman, “I am excited about the possibilities for the NCCGL to leverage all the logistics assets of the region for the benefit of the existing company base, and to recruit additional employers.”

Two positions, a director and program coordinator, will be transferred to and filled by GTCC.

The Piedmont Triad Partnership (PTP), one of seven regional economic development partnerships in North Carolina, is a private economic development organization representing the 12-county Piedmont Triad region. The PTP is markets the region for business recruitment in partnership with the 13 local economic development agencies in the region and executes strategic projects which will increase the region’s competitiveness and drive purposeful job growth. The Triad, the nation's 37th-largest metro region with more than 1.6 million residents, includes the counties of Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin.

The North Carolina Center for Global Logistics’ mission is to be the premier resource center in the Piedmont Triad for the Transportation, Logistics and Supply Chain Management industry. The NCCGL collaborates with regional Community Colleges, Universities and Colleges to meet the educational, outreach and research needs of the industry.

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