Clemens Food Group, KCC, BACC to host Robotics/Mechatronics Open House June 23

The robotics area of the Branch Area Careers Center in Coldwater.

Clemens Food Group, Kellogg Community College and the Branch Area Careers Center are jointly hosting a Robotics/Mechatronics Open House this month to showcase new training equipment and career opportunities related to the creation of hundreds of new jobs in the Coldwater area.

The open house is 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, June 23, at the Branch Area Careers Center, 366 Morse St., Coldwater. Anyone interested in learning about new opportunities with the Clemens Food Group or robotics and mechatronics training through KCC or the BACC is encouraged to attend.

The open house will include the following:

  • Ribbon cutting at 4 p.m.
  • Clemens presentation at 4:30 p.m.
  • KCC/BACC presentation at 4:45 p.m.
  • Tours and demonstrations from 5 to 6 p.m.

“We are pleased to be a part of this unique partnership,” said Earnie Meily, vice president of community development at Clemens. “The training provided by KCC and the BACC will not only benefit Clemens Food Group and businesses throughout the region, but enhance the lives of the participants, as well.”

Clemens Food Group is building a 600,000-square-foot processing facility located between Jonesville Road and Newton Road in Coldwater. The project is expected to generate more than $300 million in private investment. The facility is estimated to create more than 830 jobs. The project remains on schedule to begin operating in late 2017.

“Kellogg Community College is extremely proud to partner with Clemens Food Group and the BACC in making sure we have a highly skilled workforce with tremendous career opportunities in Branch County,” said Mark O’Connell, president of KCC.

Beginning this fall, a series of robotics and mechatronics courses are being offered through KCC at the BACC facility in Coldwater. These courses are designed to train students on the expertise and equipment needed for them to be eligible for skilled trades employment with Clemens. The courses make use of new training equipment installed at the BACC in 2016 thanks to a state grant awarded to KCC, which offers instruction in industrial electricity/electronics, machining technology, maintenance and robotics.

Anyone considering taking the KCC courses is encouraged to attend one of KCC’s sign-up events planned for late June and early July to complete an application, fill out financial aid forms and meet with instructors to map out a course plan. For more information or to RSVP, contact KCC staff at grahl@kellogg.edu or 517-278-3300. The sign-up events will be held at KCC’s Grahl Center, 125 Seeley St., Coldwater, on the following dates:

  • 9 a.m. to noon June 29
  • 5-8 p.m. July 6

The Clemens Food Group is a sixth-generation, family-owned integrated pork production operation including farming, processing, transportation and logistics. Based in Hatfield, Penn., since 1895, the company’s heritage is deeply rooted in strong family values and a commitment to being responsible and contributing members of the communities where it operates, always with the highest degree of integrity and ethics.

Ongoing updates and communications regarding the Clemens project, including employment information, can be found by visiting www.CFGColdwater.com.

For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our latest press releases online at https://daily.kellogg.edu/category/news-releases.