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Prent makes donation to BTC’s new manufacturing center as construction begins
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From left to right: Dave Holterman, President of the Blackhawk Technical College Foundation; Dr. Tracy Pierner, President of Blackhawk; Joe Pregont, CEO of Prent; Rachel Pregont Andres, Executive Vice President of Prent; Lisa Hurda, Director of Advancement and Foundation at Blackhawk; Joe Pregont, President of Prent.

JANESVILLE — The Prent Corporation will donate $250,000 to the Blackhawk Technical College Foundation to fund a cutting-edge manufacturing lab space within the college’s new Innovative Manufacturing Education Center (I-MEC). Rachel Pregont Andres, Prent Corporation Executive Vice President, made the announcement during a groundbreaking ceremony held on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at Blackhawk’s Central Campus. 

“This is an occasion of immense pride and recognition for the true partnership that exists between Prent, GOEX and the faculty at BTC,” said Andres, who also is a Blackhawk District Board member.

Attended by more than 60 industry partners, community leaders and Blackhawk staff, the groundbreaking event celebrated the start of construction on the I-MEC building. The state-of-the-art facility will be located on the south side of Central Campus and feature resources to support hands-on learning experiences for students in the following programs: Automation Systems Technology, Computer Numeric Control Technician, Electro-Mechanical Technology, Industrial Maintenance Mechanic, Manufacturing Engineering Technology, Welding & Fabrication, and HVAC-R.

Currently, Blackhawk’s manufacturing programs are housed at the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center in Milton, which was previously owned by the Blackhawk Technical College Foundation. In May, the Foundation sold the property to KANDU Industries and then donated the proceeds of $7 million to the college for the new facility at Central Campus.

“The Blackhawk Foundation recognized why this made sense for the college and, more importantly, why this made sense for our students,” said Dave Holterman, President of the Blackhawk Technical College Foundation and Vice President of First Community Bank.

Anticipated for completion by fall 2024, the I-MEC building will encompass approximately 52,000 square feet and include dedicated welding areas and specialized laboratory facilities, including a manufacturing cell provided by Prent. The existing administration building will connect to the new facility and be transformed into classrooms. Construction is being managed by JP Cullen, with architectural expertise provided by Angus-Young Associates. Blackhawk’s manufacturing classes will continue to be held at the Milton facility through the spring semester.