Donor gives Northern $50K for Diesel Technology Center

An anonymous person has donated $50,000 to Montana State University-Northern's new Diesel Technology Center.

This donation represents the first gift under a matching grant issued by the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation in conjunction with Modern Machinery, a Washington company.

The grant will match any new donations toward Northern's new auto-diesel building, up to $250,000.

The new building will house the Diesel Technology and combination auto-diesel program classes. The Automotive Technology program classes will move into the Farm Mechanics Building and the Applied Technology Center, vacating the outdated building that now houses thel automotive and diesel technology programs.

The project is now 94 percent funded, said Northern Chancellor Greg Kegel.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the project will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday. Gov. Steve Bullock will take part in the festivities. The state provided funding for the project, but required the university to raise money as well.

This grant is in addition to the $1 million investment the Washington Foundation has already made to the project.

"We are humbled by all of the industry and private support out there for this project," Kegel said. "Thanks to the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, this gift will have double the impact, bringing us within sight of the finish line."

The $9.9 million project’s funding has come from government entities and support from corporate and private donations.

"These contributions are pivotal to ensuring that the Diesel Technology Center is built to meet our needs today and in the future," said Jim Bennett, executive director for the MSU-Northern Alumni Foundation. "The new facility gives us the opportunity to grow the programs we offer."