The Robert Bosch Tool Corporation Conference Center is located in MSCC’s Workforce Technology Center on the College’s North Campus.
“This is another great day for our community college,” said MSCC President Dr. Glen Fenter. “For more than a decade, Bosch Tool Corporation has been a company that has continuously stepped forward to assist us in our efforts.”
Dr. Fenter said the company has invested nearly $70,000 in scholarships for students in technical programs, tools, library resources, and “a number of pieces of the puzzle that are so important to giving our students access to a world-class education. They recently topped that off by making a new, five-year $25,000 pledge that will put us in a position to continue to add resources to these equations.”
Longshore also shared some thoughts from Bosch CEO and president, Terry Horan.
“Robert Bosch Tool Corporation is honored to continue the legacy of Robert Bosch in the area of social responsibility. In fact, our founder made the first contribution to further the education of students in 1910 when he donated one million German marks to the Stuttgart Polytechnic.”
“Although this was the initial step, from that time forward, Robert Bosch generally made donations and endowments not only to educational institutions but also to other social and cultural projects. To this day, the Robert Bosch Foundation carries on his civic initiatives.”
The charitable work is made possible through the Foundation which is a 92 percent shareholder in the corporation. That special organizational structure entitles the Foundation to a portion of the company’s dividend, and it uses the proceeds to fund programs worldwide.
“Over $3 billion has been made available through the Foundation since 1964 to support projects in the areas of health, education, and international understanding,” Longshore said as he continued to read from Horan’s prepared statement. “Support of charitable causes and civic initiatives is but one of the philosophies that reflect Robert Bosch’s belief and offer a foundation for sustained business success.”
“Involvement in local communities in which our facilities are located is one way to know what support will best serve the people of the community. It is very appropriate, therefore, that we mirror that first step taken by Robert Bosch through our own local support of Mid-South Community College. This college provides local students a needed source of affordable education. We are grateful for Mid-South Community College’s presence in the community and wish the students great success in their learning and individual achievement efforts.”
Dr. Fenter recognized the Bosch Corporation as a great role model and example of corporate citizenship as well as a visionary company which continues to invest in the future of the region.
“Having a relationship like the one we have with Bosch is just another great step forward for institution and our community, and we sincerely appreciate what they have done for us.”
“The primary reason most folks don’t do what we’re doing, in terms of technical education, is it is very, very expensive. You simply can’t offer the level of technology, equipment, training, and faculty talent required to stay current with the resources that the state provides. And you can’t make up the difference for what the state provides and what the costs are by charging higher and higher levels of tuition because the very students that we want to help can’t afford it.”
“So, if you don’t have great relationships with great companies, you can’t create and sustain the efforts. Bosch has always been a fantastic example of those kinds of relationships that need to be in place.”
Dr. Fenter said the location of the Robert Bosch Conference Center could not be more appropriate.
“The Workforce Technology Center is a very special place on our campus and the entire Delta region,” he pointed out. “Whatever our institution becomes in terms of our ability to meet the technological needs of this region, the Workforce Technology Center will always be at the heart of the effort.”
At the end of the ceremony, Longshore presented Dr. Fenter with a commemorative book marking the 125-year anniversary of Bosch as a company. In turn, MSCC’s president presented Longshore, Marion Littlejohn, Human Resource Manager of the local facility, and Lynnette Combs, Communications Director of Bosch Corporate in Chicago, with small-scale replicas of the signage in the conference center.
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with Eastern Arkansas that can’t be fixed by great education and great jobs,” Dr. Fenter said. “The jobs are not coming to communities who don’t have the ability to provide for their workforce needs.”
“Our country’s economy is in a tremendously perilous state, and most of the folks who have diagnosed that peril have said that our future is inextricably linked to our ability to put this nation back in a position where we can make things and distribute things better than anyone else in the world. That’s not going to happen without great partnerships like the one we have with Bosch.”
The local Bosch facility is the largest distribution point in North America for Bosch Power Tools and one of the largest distribution points globally. It employs anywhere from 200 to 300 workers, depending on the time of year.
For information about joining the Robert Bosch Tool Corporation in helping MSCC move forward, please contact Patti Coleman, MSCC Director of Advancement, at (870) 733-6764 or pdcoleman@midsouthcc.edu.
MSCC’s Foundation also offers direct on-line giving through the College’s website, www.midsouthcc.edu (click on MSCC Portal, MSCC Foundation, and Give Now).
The MSCC Foundation, Inc. is an independent charitable organization created to raise and oversee funds donated to MSCC in support of the college’s efforts to meet the needs of Crittenden County. It operates under a tax exempt 501(c)(3) status.
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