Alfred State College in western New York recently celebrated the groundbreaking for an expansion of its Heavy Equipment, Truck & Diesel Technician program.
The expansion includes the construction of an additional 10,000 square feet for labs, equipment, and classrooms, and increased capacity to enroll more students for this fall, according to a statement from the college, which is part of the State University of New York system.
“The engine is running; our team is ready to go,” said Alfred State President Dr. Steven Mauro. “Our faculty and staff are going to take this great investment and move the truck forward, expanding our Truck and Diesel program, and continuing to meet workforce needs through the education of students in this important area of need in New York and beyond.”
During his comments, Mauro thanked those who fueled this idea to become a reality. He credited Development Fund Board Member and 1987 graduate Connie Caputo, for getting things started; Wellsville resident Jody Miller and his family in Wellsville for being the spark plug; and former CEO and President of Linder Industrial Machinery, John Coughlin, ‘78, for adding to the support.
The project was further accelerated by funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), the Empire State Development Fund (ESD), and the Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc.
“The quality of the kids coming out of here, the work ethic, they are just hardworking people,” said Coughlin. “We have been so blessed to have acquired many kids (graduates) who have done a fantastic job for the company. It really is a ‘give a little and get back a whole lot’ from this group. It has been very rewarding.”
The 10,000 square foot expansion includes space to add a second full classroom, installation of a new overhead crane for heavy lifting in the lab and will allow students to use a drive-on dynamometer machine.
ASC offers an associate degree and microcredentials related to Truck and Diesel.
The expansion has an impact immediately as Alfred State is adding 20 more students in Fall 2025 along with more faculty and staff.
Overall, 125 more trained heavy equipment and construction technicians will graduate per year, boosting workforce development and responding to increased employer demands in the construction, building trades, agriculture, and clean energy sectors, according to the college.
Truck and Diesel instructor Daniel Acomb knows the students will benefit from the added space and equipment.
“It is going to really help the students. When they show up to work after they graduate, they are going to be able to go right to work,” he said. “They are going to be able to take their tools, and the boss is not going to have to watch them stand around not knowing what to do. They are just going to find something broken, and they are going to go fix it.”
Miller said, “It is incredibly important from an economic development perspective for this town. When we’re giving, we should be giving where it can be multiplied many times. It is just a small gift to assist, really kickstarting a larger educational initiative.”
Labor projections for this region show a demand for over 20,000 more workers in Construction Equipment Mechanics and Heavy Equipment Operation by the end of the decade.
