Maysville unveils Workforce Training Center in restored historic rail building
In a celebration of both history and progress, the Town of Maysville cut the ribbon on a newly restored workforce training center Wednesday, housed in a 100-year-old former rail warehouse now transformed into a hub of economic opportunity.
The building, once used to store and move goods along the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, has been refurbished thanks to a partnership between the town, Lenoir Community College, and the Golden LEAF Foundation. The $750,000 project will offer training in high-demand trades such as water treatment, electricity, plumbing, and eventually health sciences.
“This is the vision that I saw when they offered it to us,” said Maysville Town Manager Schumata Brown. “This building was used to bring in goods and transport people out. Now it’s going to be used to build up our community.”
Brown credited the town board for supporting what he jokingly referred to as his “crazy ideas,” along with financial support from the Golden LEAF Foundation and community partners.
Photo from Town of Maysville Facebook page.
Scott T. Hamilton, president of the Golden LEAF Foundation, called the project a shining example of what can happen when local leadership and collaboration come together to meet workforce needs.
“What makes today great isn’t just the weather—it’s what we’re talking about,” Hamilton said. “This facility is a direct response to the need for skilled, credentialed workers in fields like water and sewer systems, HVAC, and healthcare.”
According to Hamilton, more than 100 students per year are expected to benefit from hands-on training at the center, which will serve as a pipeline for local employers seeking qualified workers.
Dr. Rusty Hunt, president of Lenoir Community College, recalled how the idea came to him in a phone call from Brown a few years ago.
Photo from Town of Maysville Facebook page.
“He said, ‘I’ve got the space, I’ll pay the bills. You just provide the instruction,’” Hunt recalled. “I said, ‘I think I can make that happen.’ But it was Schumata’s vision that made this day possible.”
Classes in water treatment are expected to begin in late July, with additional programs to follow. Hunt emphasized that the facility will expand access to training for residents of Jones County who may not be able to travel to Trenton or Kinston.
“We want to provide whatever it is that you want,” Hunt told the crowd. “We want to make sure folks can get jobs that can sustain their families and ultimately their children.”
The restoration was carried out by the AA Group, led by Jones County native George Ward, who described the original condition of the building as “a mess.”
“We sharpened our pencils and went after this one because it’s home,” Ward said. “This wasn’t just any renovation—it was personal.”
As attendees braved the summer heat, they were invited to step inside the air-conditioned building and see the transformation for themselves. The ceremony ended with applause—and a reminder from Brown that “this building don’t run on diesel; it runs on community.”
Neuse News is a locally-owned small business startup in downtown Kinston. Our goal is to provide free, hyper-local news to Lenoir, Greene and Jones counties. The kind of news our grandparents read in a format fit for today's times.
We provide this by having supportive advertisers and we encourage you to click on their ads, shop with them, and eat with them. Every bit of financial support is important to help us sustain free, hyper-local news.
Please consider supporting Neuse News with as little as $5 one-time or via a monthly option. Every little bit helps us, help you.
