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TCAT Dickson breaks ground on two new buildings
Dickson, TN: The Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Dickson (TCAT Dickson) held a groundbreaking ceremony September 18, for two buildings on the college’s main campus. One of the buildings will house the colleges Industrial Electrical Maintenance/Mechatronics (IEM/M), Mechatronics Multicraft Tech (MMT), and Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HAC) programs while the other will be the new home for Diesel Powered Equipment Technology (DPE).
Hoar Construction will begin work on the two buildings designed by Johnson, Johnson, Crabtree Architects, P.C. soon with both facilities tentatively scheduled to open to students in the spring of 2026. The two-level Tech Building is slated to contain 24,925 square feet and will allow the colleges IEM/M and MMT programs to move back to the main campus. Currently, TCAT Dickson is leasing space to house both programs.
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration will also relocate from its current location on the main campus to this state-of -the-art building. Currently, the program has a classroom on one end of the main campus and a lab on the other end. This new building will allow the HAC program to have lab and classroom spaces in the same location making the transition from one to the other more efficient for students and instructors. An administrative area and conference room are also planned for this building.
The Diesel Building will contain 16,654 square feet and will replace the building the DPE program is currently housed. The program will remain in the old building until the new building is completed. Once completed and occupied the old building will be demolished.
TCAT Dickson President Laura Travis welcomes the new additions to the Dickson campus. “This is an exciting time for higher education in Dickson County. These state-of-the-art buildings will help TCAT Dickson expand its role as a leading provider of workforce development in the local community. We are excited to begin construction on these facilities and are thankful to Governor Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly for their investment in the TCAT Master Plan,” Travis said.
Both additions to the TCAT Dickson campus are funded by the generational $1 billion investment in the statewide TCAT Master Plan proposed by Gov. Bill Lee and approved by the Tennessee General Assembly – 29 major projects that include new TCAT extension campuses, new buildings on existing campuses, and other expansions and upgrades.
In his 2023 State of the State address, Gov. Lee said the TCAT Master Plan funding would be the “largest investment in our technical colleges in state history” and is needed to help prepare Tennessee for the future. “Our state’s economic success can also be measured by the number of jobs created – 170,000 new jobs in just four years. Now, our workforce pipeline must keep up.
“Pathways to success don’t look the same for every Tennessean, nor should they. For many, a certification from one of our Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology will open the right doors. Since 2019, we’ve prioritized TCAT Construction across this state, so more Tennesseans can kickstart a great career closer to home. Today, nearly 9 out of 10 graduates get a job in the field they studied,” he said.
Once completed, the college plans to open a new Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) program which will be included in the Diesel Building along with the DPE program. Plans also call for the renovation of existing spaces in the main building to make the business office and student services run more efficiently.
“As we recruit industry to Tennessee, one of the deciding factors is whether or not we have a trained workforce readily available and the educational system to retrain and upskill,” said Bradley Jackson, president and CEO of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “It makes our job easy when we tell them our state has prioritized technical training through our community colleges and TCATs and can provide customized training if needed.”
Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Dr. Flora Tydings, Tennessee State Representative Mary Littleton, Dickson County Mayor Bob Rial, Stuart Johnson of Krebs Kubota along with Dickson County and City of Dickson leadership and numerous industry partners attended the groundbreaking event.
TCAT Dickson, part of the College System of Tennessee and governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents, offers 17 technical education programs across its four locations including Automotive Technology, Building Construction Technology, Welding Technology, Practical Nursing, and more. Visit TCAT Dickson’s website at TCATDickson.edu for a complete list of offerings and locations.
On hand for TCAT Dickson’s groundbreaking ceremony held September 18 for its new Tech Building and Diesel Building were (from left) Bishoy Kamel of Johnson, Johnson, Crabtree Architects, P.C.; Linda Mark of Johnson, Johnson, Crabtree Architects, P.C.; Dickson County Mayor Bob Rial, TCAT Dickson Vice President of Fiscal Services Cynthia Zwingle, Dickson County Director of Schools Christie Southerland, TCAT Dickson Vice President of Academics and Compliance Levi Mayer; Tennessee State Representative Mary Littleton; Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Dr. Flora Tydings; TCAT Dickson President Laura Travis; Dickson County Chamber of Commerce President Jennie Wagner; City of Dickson Vice-Mayor Jason Epley; Stuart Johnson of Krebs Kubota; Hoar Construction Vice President Division of Operations Jerry W. Young; and TCAT Dickson Vice President of Operations Corey Choate.
Rendering of TCAT Dickson's main campus once the new Tech Building (far right) and the new Diesel Building (far left) are completed.
Rendering of the new Diesel Building to be built on TCAT Dickson's main campus.
Rendering of the new Tech Building to be built on TCAT Dickson's main campus.
