Murphy-Hoffman Co. contributes naming-level donation to OTC

Leawood, Kansas-based Murphy-Hoffman Co. will have its name on an Ozarks Technical Community College building after a donation.

The operator of trucking dealerships contributed an undisclosed amount of funding toward what will now be called the MHC Diesel Technician Training Center, according to a news release.

“The trucking industry has grown immensely since MHC was founded, and it is a large component of the local economy,” MHC CEO Mike Murphy said in the release. “Offering state-of-the-art technical education at OTC will keep well-trained employees in the area and the economy healthy.”

MHC President Tim Spurgeon said the diesel center would be an opportunity to recruit technicians into its own employment ranks.

For the center, OTC first received a $1 million grant in 2016 from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Springfield community college then sought to bring in matching funds.

At the corner of Central Street and National Avenue, the MHC Diesel Technician Training Center is expected to open to students in fall 2019. Funds will allow OTC to add four new truck bays and classrooms with learning labs. It’s expected to grow OTC’s diesel technology enrollment capacity by 45 percent, according to the release.

Founded in Springfield, MHC now has more than 100 dealerships, transport refrigeration locations and leasing and rental operations in 16 states, as well as a finance company. It has two locations in Springfield at 2215 E. Division St. and 3315 E. Kearney St., according to its website.