Huber Engineered Woods invests in local CTC schools
NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s a gift that keeps on giving.
Huber Engineered Woods is expected to bring more than 150 jobs to the area, but the investment doesn’t stop there.
The Shuqualak plant is also investing in the families of its future workers.
Huber Engineered Woods is bringing more than jobs to Northeast Mississippi.
The J.M. Huber Corporation partnered with the national non-profit Project Lead the Way to bring STEM curriculum and programs to Noxubee and Kemper County Schools.
“It’s always great when you have people who in invest in you, especially invest in your children, invest in your community, invest in teachers and administrators. It’s just an exciting time,” said Noxubee County School District Superintendent Dr. Washington Cole IV.
The $170,000 investment began in 2024 — a year after Huber broke ground in Shuqualak.
On Thursday, officials from both organizations came to town see how that investment is paying off.
President and CEO of Project Lead the Way Dr. David Dimmett and others visited Noxubee County Career and Technical Center.
“What were really excited about is the opportunity students are getting to build skills, to do projects, to test, try, to apply everything they’re learning in their core academic classes to solve real relevant problems here in the classroom today,” said Dimmett.
The lessons go beyond the classrooms.
Students are also taught skills like critical thinking and problem solving as they work on projects.
Some of those same skills can be applied in life or at companies like Huber.
“We want to train our future workers and give them the opportunity to learn the skills that we’re looking for, but we also believe in empowering communities through education,” said Lea Volpe, Vice President of Communications and Community Relations for J.M. Huber Corporation.
Lakandra Orr is the Engineering and Robotics teacher at the CTC.
She was first trained on Project Lead the Way last summer.
“It was very interesting, and it was very rigorous, but the good thing is that they do take the time to teach the teacher, so the teacher will be able to come back and teach the student,” said Orr.
Before starting any project, students brainstorm, research and design models they believe will give them the best result.
“This partnership is not just an investment in education. It’s a commitment to equity, opportunity, and the future of rural Mississippi,” said Noxubee County CTE Director Johnnie Wells.
“If we can provide an investment that changes a child’s view of what their own personal future can be and maybe help them believe that they could be something that they’ve never imagined, we’re doing the right thing,” said Volpe.
The STEM curriculum was funded by J.M. Huber Corporation.
The Shuqualak plant is expected to open in the second quarter of 2026.
