PTC holds groundbreaking ceremony for $23 million expansion of Family Life and Conference Center

Piedmont Technical College (PTC) held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday for a transformative expansion of its Family Life and Conference Center on the Lex Walters Campus – Greenwood.

The $23 million project will create a gleaming 41,000 square-foot multipurpose facility to serve PTC students and the campus community while also acting as a vital hub for business and industry conferences and a venue for other types of public gatherings.

“This center isn’t just an expansion,” said PTC President Dr. Hope E. Rivers. “This reimagined space will be a much-needed showcase for our region, a place where learning, collaboration and celebration will strengthen connections across our community for years to come.”  

The expansion project will essentially double the size of the current event center. The new design features a modern aesthetic with large exterior glass panels that will allow sunlight to flood the interior, inspiring an atmosphere of openness and vitality.

Speaking at Wednesday’s groundbreaking, Greenwood SC Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Trentsie Williams said she is “incredibly excited” about the project.

“With upgraded facilities, improved capacity, and modern amenities, the revitalized event center will be able to host more events, accommodate more people and serve a wider range of programming than ever before,” Williams said.

Gabe McCutcheon, vice president and head of operations for Lonza’s Greenwood site, said his organization and other businesses will benefit from having a “versatile, state-of-the-art venue.”

“For a company committed to improving health and advancing life sciences around the globe, access to a regional space like this is invaluable,” McCutcheon said.

State Sen. Billy Garrett said the Family Life and Conference Center represents “a commitment to students, to employers and to families” across PTC’s seven-county service area.

“Projects like the Family Life and Conference Center make a big difference in people's lives and strengthen the foundation of our state,” Garrett said.

Construction will begin within a few weeks, with a projected completion date of early 2027. Funding for the project is made possible through state aid and community partners.

The Family Life and Conference Center expansion is one of three major capital projects that PTC officials are starting this year. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in March for the Self Regional Healthcare Center for Health Sciences on PTC’s Lex Walters Campus-Greenwood. A groundbreaking is set to take place next month for the Saluda Center for Advanced Manufacturing on the college’s Saluda County Campus.

Rivers said the trio of projects, which have a combined cost of more than $50 million, will add more than 67,000 square feet of facility space.

“These investments are about more than new facilities,” Rivers said. “They focus on expanding opportunities for our students, strengthening our partnerships and positioning Piedmont Technical College for sustained long-term growth.”