ALACHUA, FLA. — The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) has broken ground on its future headquarters located in Alachua, Fla. With Haskell Co. of Jacksonville as its design-build firm, NCCER plans to move into the new building in the fall of 2011.

“This is truly a momentous occasion for our organization,” NCCER President Don Whyte said. “Fifteen years ago, NCCER was just a dream and vision of many industry leaders. Today, we are one of the premier workforce development organizations for the construction industry. As we break ground on our new building and permanent home, we look forward to a bright future filled with success, growth and an even greater level of service to the construction industry and the men and women who make it great.”

The Haskell Co. Vice President for Construction Support Boyd Worsham expressed his appreciation for NCCER’s accomplishments. “As one of the founding contractors of NCCER, we are honored to have been chosen to build the new headquarters,” he said. “We are extremely proud of what their organization and staff have accomplished in this industry.”

The 31,000 square-foot building will be designed to LEED silver certification. LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

NCCER’s new headquarters will serve as an educational facility with cutouts that showcase to staff and visitors the skilled work of our craft professionals. Also included in the building will be the national headquarters for ProV, NCCER’s testing and assessment development partner,and a generous conference space, which will allow for a variety of training courses to be offered.

For more information about NCCER, please visit www.nccer.org.