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Racine Mayor Cory Mason tries out one of the industrial robots at the opening ceremony for the remodeled and expanded Gateway Technical College SC Johnson iMET Center in Sturtevant WI, Oct. 22.

By Bill Houston

Sturtevant, WI — Gateway Technical College President and CEO Bryan Albrecht was joined by Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, Racine Mayor Cory Mason and other government, business, industry and education  leaders from eight different states at a renovation and expansion ribbon-cutting celebration at Gateway’s SC Johnson iMET Center on Tuesday, October 22.

Located at 2320 Renaissance Blvd., the iMET Center was expanded by nearly 36,000 square ft., and over 12,000 square ft. was remodeled, as a number of national companies provided the resources, equipment and industry knowledge to help transform the center into one of the leading sites of Industry 4.0 training.

“This expansion is not only great for the Racine County area, but for Wisconsin’s manufacturing industry,” said Evers. “And not just here in Wisconsin, and not just the country, but internationally as well.

“Technology is driving the change in the way we live and work. We need to make sure we are ready to change with it, and this facility will help us adapt to that change.”

Home to 12 academic programs taught in some of the most technologically advanced classrooms in advanced manufacturing and Industry 4.0 today, the expansion of iMET features additional labs with high-tech training equipment compact and portable enough to allow instructors to provide on-site training to area manufacturers and high schools.

Hailed as a place where programs and artificial intelligence systems meet and today’s manufacturers can find workers with the skills to help their businesses grow, Richard Vincent, chief business officer, Foxconn Industrial Internet said, “Gateway’s development represents a shining example of industry, education and legislation coming together to create something that benefits everyone.

“This is a new epicenter of technological innovation. A new group of professionals will graduate from this institution with the skills to build our future.”

Designed to serve as a national model for advanced manufacturing, President Albrecht added, “We have a process in place that allows what we build here to be replicated throughout the country, to not only elevate opportunities for workers in southeastern Wisconsin, but also to change the dynamics of America’s workforce.”