Posted on the Biltmore Beacon website on August 5, 2026.
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College plans to build a major manufacturing education, workforce training, and research center that officials say will help prepare workers for the region’s growing advanced manufacturing industry and strengthen Western North Carolina’s economy.
Construction of the 70,000-square-foot Western North Carolina Futures Factory will be funded by a $29.2 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The Futures Factory will provide workforce training through A-B Tech while bringing together university researchers and manufacturing partners.
The center will be built at Biltmore Park West, where aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney already operates a major production facility. College leaders envision the site growing into a hub for additional advanced manufacturers.
A-B Tech President John Gossett compared the project to the early development of Research Triangle Park.
“In the same way tobacco fields were once converted into what we now know as the Research Triangle Park, this marks the beginning of an education, training and research collaboration that will transform this site into an innovation hub for Western North Carolina,” Gossett said.
College officials estimate the Futures Factory will train about 800 workers each year by 2035, support the creation of nearly 2,750 jobs and generate $189 million in annual labor income for the region.
“There will be workforce training, research and development from proof of concept to commercialization, collaboration between education and industry, all under one roof,” Gossett said.
“We envision a talent pipeline with A-B Tech delivering on-site education and training, shared research with university partners, and direct support for manufacturers.”
The Futures Factory will include A-B Tech as its primary education and workforce training provider while partnering with six universities — including Appalachian State, WCU, NCSU and UNC-A — on engineering research and development. Other community colleges in Western North Carolina also will have access to the facility for workforce training and research, including Blue Ridge Community College and Haywood Community College.
The grant is part of federal Helene disaster recovery funding for North Carolina through the Economic Development Administration.