Danville Community College announces Morgan Olson collaboration

College to work with van manufacturer on training, workforce development

Published October 23, 2020 by Sydney Lake

Danville Community College (DCC) on Thursday announced a collaboration agreement with North America’s largest walk-in van manufacturer, Morgan Olson LLC, for training and talent development.

Working with the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), DCC and Morgan Olson developed a comprehensive training program to bolster a talent pipeline for the company’s newly established operations in Pittsylvania County. 

“This collaboration has been in the works for most of 2020 and we are honored to have solidified our partnership with the signing of the collaboration agreement,” DCC President Jacqueline Gill Powell said in a statement. “It is incredibly exciting to become an integral part such an impactful organization and to support job creation in our region.”

In fall 2019, VEDP and Danville and Pittsylvania County officials launched an economic pitch that landed a $57.89 million expansion project from Michigan-based van manufacturer Morgan Olson, a walk-in van and work truck manufacturer. Its 925,000-square-foot facility (formerly occupied by Ikea) will ultimately support 703 jobs in the region. More than 300 people have been hired since January and production began at the facility in June.

“Our partnership with DCC and VEDP has been a critical factor in our successful launch of the Ringgold [Pittsylvania County] facility,” Steven Parker, general manager of Morgan Olson’s Pittsylvania County facility, said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with these amazing teams so that we may collaboratively build the most skilled workforce possible.” 

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