A donation from Mr. and Mrs. Carlton Tyson and family to South Piedmont Community College will be used to strengthen technical and vocational training and provide student scholarships. It represents the largest gift in the college’s history.
At a dedication ceremony on September 8, SPCC’s Center for Technology & Health Education will be renamed the Tyson Family Center for Technology. The building is where much of the impact from Tyson’s generous gift will be seen.
SPCC Foundation Executive Director Dr. Laura Byrd said, “Through this generous gift, the Tyson family is making a strong investment in our students and in the communities we serve, making them better places to live and work.”
Tyson, CEO and founder of Ty-Par Realty, a successful commercial real estate and development company in Monroe for nearly 50 years, also serves as vice chairman of the SPCC Foundation. While he is reluctant to be recognized for his generosity, he said that it’s important to the close-knit Tyson family, which includes his wife Carol and children Christa and Mark, that future generations of the family understand the importance of giving back to a community that has been so good to them.
At SPCC, Tyson sees a lot of potential in the building soon to be renamed for him and his family. Initial renovation of the former warehouse/distribution center was completed in 2013, providing 12,000 square feet for classrooms and specialty labs for Advanced Manufacturing, Industrial Maintenance, and Construction Technologies. Renovation plans include a second floor for the bay warehouse area, bringing total usable area to approximately 75,000 square feet.
“Because of my background, I can appreciate the families in our community who struggle to send kids off to college,” Tyson said. “South Piedmont is a great place for people to get a jumpstart toward a great career—and maybe even own their own business. That’s our vision and why my family is involved in this work.” Tyson said his formula for success has always been “a positive attitude, plus hard work, equals success.” It’s a formula he hopes countless others in our community will follow—for generations to come.