Roseburg, OR. — Umpqua Community College hosted a community open house Wednesday evening celebrating the opening of its newly renovated Advanced Manufacturing & Forestry Hub, a reimagined facility designed to support high-demand workforce training across Douglas County.
The January 21 event marked the culmination of a multi-year effort that began in 2023, when UCC conducted a comprehensive review of its advanced manufacturing, forestry, and forest products programs. That process incorporated extensive feedback from major regional employers and smaller businesses that regularly hire UCC graduates, shaping a redesign focused on industry alignment and future-ready skills.
The renovation coincided with the launch of two new academic programs—Mechatronics and Artificial Intelligence—expanding opportunities for students to prepare for increasingly technical, well-paying careers. Industry leaders emphasized growing demand for workers capable of designing, programming, maintaining, and servicing automated and AI-enabled systems, alongside skilled foresters supporting the long-term health and productivity of forestlands.
Douglas County’s manufacturing sector, long anchored in wood products and mill operations, is increasingly influenced by automation, advanced software, and data-driven systems, requiring stronger mechanical, engineering, and digital competencies.
At the open house, Allyn Ford, former CEO and president of Roseburg Forest Products, highlighted the pace of change facing the industry. “We’re looking to the future,” Ford said. “Our industry and everything we’re doing is becoming increasingly complex. The change is taking place so quickly.”
To meet those demands, UCC aligned its Computer Science, Forestry, Virtual Welding, and Engineering programs through shared curricula and collaborative instruction. With the addition of Mechatronics and a certificate in Expert Systems: Artificial Intelligence, the college now offers an integrated suite of programs serving evolving regional workforce needs.
“Growing a workforce here has been a challenge in the last thirty years, but Umpqua Community College has really helped out with that challenge,” said Dave Larecy, CEO of Con-Vey. “Having programs and facilities like this so you can graduate, continue your education locally, and get exciting career opportunities all in your hometown is amazing.”
More than 350 students are currently enrolled across these program pathways. The renovated facility—repurposed from one of the college’s original campus buildings—features state-of-the-art laboratories, a multipurpose advanced manufacturing learning lab, lecture-theater capacity, and a maker and innovation space open to the broader community. Upgrades were designed to meet the significant power and data demands of modern manufacturing education.
UCC leaders said the project demonstrates the impact of strong collaboration between education and industry, positioning both students and the region for long-term economic success.
The project was supported by industry partners and donors including Nordic Veneer; Roseburg Forest Products; Murphy Company; D.R. Johnson Lumber Company; Lone Rock Resources; the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians; Sierra Pacific Foundation; Con-Vey; FCC Commercial Furniture; The Ford Family Foundation; Great Northern Trailer Works; Douglas County Forest Products; Hal and Paula Ball; Swanson Group; and Lynn Engle.
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