PHOENIX, AZ — Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC) recently celebrated the completion of its new Advanced Manufacturing and Welding building and Electric Vehicle (EV) building addition at its Northeast Campus in Phoenix, Arizona. The $13.5 million project was designed by Grace Design Studios (formerly GHC-Orcutt Winslow) and constructed by McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
The new 16,500-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing building features an advanced manufacturing lab with an ISO-X cleanroom and industry-standard equipment from companies like Festo, Universal Robots, and KUKA. Students in West-MEC’s two-year Advanced Manufacturing, Automation, and Robotics program explore new technologies like AI, machine learning, and robotic process automation and their impact on manufacturing. A unique feature of the program is the inclusion of cleanroom simulation training to prepare students for work in the semiconductor and manufacturing industries.
The project also includes the addition of a 2,000-square-foot EV bay. The EV bay addition, which has been outfitted to create a teaching facility for EV technology, features a car lift as the facility’s focal point. The EV bay supports student learning within various instructional areas and allows for first-hand demonstrations.
“By connecting world-class training with industry needs, this new facility ensures West-MEC students are ready to step into high-demand jobs from day one. It’s a win for our students, our partners, and Arizona’s economy,” West-MEC Superintendent Scott Spurgeon, Ph.D., said.
With over 3,000 square feet of classroom and collaboration space, the facility was designed to enhance hands-on learning opportunities, specifically to prepare students for direct placement into manufacturing industry career opportunities. The Advanced Manufacturing building also houses a welding instructional lab with 25 individual Lincoln welding booths, equipped with a specialized Lincoln exhaust system. Coupled with this interior lab space, the welding program now has an exterior welding yard with individual sandblasting and plasma cutting stations.
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“Equipping high school students with a facility that provides the necessary, relevant hands-on training for lucrative careers in advanced manufacturing is very rewarding for our team,” McCarthy Senior Project Director Tyler Shupe said. “These students are getting exposure to and practice with state-of-the-art equipment and technology that will prepare them for a future in this rapidly expanding industry.”
Construction of the campus expansion began in September 2024 and was completed on an aggressive 10-month timeline with support from Grace’s self-certification permitting process and in-house plan review. Subcontractors included Stone Cold Masonry, Progressive Roofing, Pueblo Mechanical, and Hawkeye Electric.
“Grace Design Studios was absolutely thrilled to partner with West-MEC and McCarthy on the successful transformation of the Northeast Campus, delivering cutting-edge Advanced Manufacturing, Welding, and EV tech programs,” said Saravanan Bala, Grace Design Studios Partner. “This modernized campus will serve to further burnish West-MEC's reputation as a pioneering and innovative organization with an unrelenting focus on next-generation workforce development initiatives in greater Maricopa County.”
