NEMCC plans career-technical education complex, conference center at former Corinthian Furniture location
Jan. 24—BOONEVILLE — Northeast Mississippi Community College is expanding its footprint in Booneville with the purchase of the former furniture plant.
The college announced plans, Monday, to transform the former Corinthian Furniture building, located on West Chambers Drive, into a career-technical education complex and conference center.
NEMCC purchased the 350,000-square-foot facility and the 43-acre property on which it sits for $7.2 million.
Community college officials say the newly acquired property will be used for much more than adding additional classroom space and bolstering enrollment.
"It enables us to create more opportunities for the people of Northeast Mississippi to enhance their skills and for us to better contribute to economic development because with this building, we can also provide extensive, specific workforce training to area industry and help our economic developers recruit more industry to this area," NEMCC president Dr. Ricky G. Ford said.
College officials began looking into purchasing the vacant building about three years ago.
"Our plan is to combine workforce education and career technical education to provide more opportunities for our students, as well as the residents of northeast Mississippi," said NEMCC executive vice president Dr. Craig-Ellis Sasser.
Once the facility is open, the school plans to offer flexible training with timeframes ranging from four weeks to two years. NEMCC will also operate a conference center with a commercial-style kitchen for students in the college's culinary arts program to gain experience providing food services for all events held in the center.
The college plans to eventually move more than 20 career-technical education programs to the facility. Moving those programs will allow them to grow while providing space for the development of new programs in the future, Jason Mattox, associate vice president for career-technical education, said.
There is no firm timeline set for development of the facility.
Nadara Cole, NEMCC vice president for workforce training and economic development, said the new facility will help the school train a stronger workforce.
"It will enhance our ability to assist the unemployed and under-employed to move toward a better career pathway," Cole said. "They may begin with short-term workforce training and learn the skills it takes to land a better job or be successful in a degree program."
