From Germanna Community College:
Atlantic Builders and its trade partners are donating $250,000 –the proceeds from the sale of a new home –to the Germanna Community College Educational Foundation. Work on the Stafford County home began in March and was completed in July, with many Atlantic Builders’ trade partners doing their work on the house at no charge or at a significant reduction in cost.
“This is our third annual home from which proceeds have been donated to a local charity,” Atlantic Builders CEO Adam Fried said. “We are so proud that, with our dedicated and generous trade partners, hundreds of people came together to raise our largest sum yet. [GCC President] Dr. Janet Gullickson is leading change and dynamic growth at Germanna,’ Fried said. “This inspired us all to dig deeper because we believe it will make our region better for over 12,000 Germanna students.”
Dr. Gullickson thanked Atlantic Builders and all their trade partner companies for their generosity.
“Atlantic Builders and their trade partners understand the difference community colleges make in the lives of local students and their families,” Dr. Gullickson said. “They know that when our students succeed, so do our communities. Eighty percent of our students remain in the area. They don’t take the skills they learned here elsewhere. Therefore, when our students do well, they provide companies like the ones that donated their efforts and many other businesses the area with the skilled employees they need to thrive. And people with skills plant roots, become good citizens and help our economy grow.”
Germanna helps local companies like Atlantic Builders and its trade partners with workforce training and apprenticeships that provide the employees needed to close skills gaps in the industry. GCC trains workers in carpentry, Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) and plumbing.
Tommy Franklin of Franklin Electric in Stafford said: “Franklin Electric has been a trade partner of Atlantic Builders for many years and when we were approached about donating our services to the construction of this home, we were more than happy to participate as giving back to the community is part of our company philosophy. We’re also excited that the donation is going to Germanna Community College as they play an important role in educating the future construction trade workforce.”
Bryan Chatham of Chatham Construction in Spotsylvania County said: “Germanna is an integral part of the Stafford, Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg area and working with Atlantic Builders to make this significant donation possible was an easy decision on our part. Chatham Construction is a local company is proud to support local organizations especially groups like Germanna that provide educational opportunities that residents may not be able to afford otherwise.”
Bruce Davis, Special Assistant to the President for Institutional Advancement at Germanna, said Atlantic Builders’ and its trade partners’ gift will touch the lives of many students in our area who “will benefit from their foresight for generations to come,” Davis said.
