Ellis Bros. cements relationship with KCCC program

Ellis Brothers has been hiring Knox County Career Center students and graduates for many years.

The Mount Vernon company has believed the training given to those students helped them become viable members of the workforce. On June 27, Ellis took it one step further.

The company donated $2,000 to the Building & Trades program at KCCC during a ceremony at the school. But, it did more than just that one-time donation. They put the school’s logo and photos on the side of one of the cement trucks, giving the school a nice piece of advertising as it moves around the county doing work. The company also will donate 50 cents per yard of concrete hauled by the truck back to the school for the future.

“On behalf of Ellis Brothers, we are proud to be here today and show support to the Knox County Career Center. Not only through a donation, but through our ongoing commitment to the future of building and trades program, said Jordan Ellis of Ellis Brothers. “This partnership means a lot to us. Not only do we hire graduates regularly, but we also see this school as a cornerstone of our workforce and our industry itself. You are helping to build the next generation of trades people, and we are honored to be a part of this process.”

Several graduates of KCCC’s program that are currently working for Ellis Brothers were involved in the ceremony and were excited to see what the donation can do for future students.

“I think it’s really going to take the program a long way. It’s going to help the kids. We did a lot with Clipp (former instructor Colby Clippinger). We went on a lot of field trips, we did a lot of work for the community. I feel like this will help out with all of this,” said Blake Green, a 2025 KCCC graduate now working as a driver for Ellis Brothers.

"It's a really special feeling. I came to the career center as a sophomore and ended up choosing the college credit plus program. I could go anywhere with that I am glad I ended up choosing one of the Ellis companies to land on. They have given me so many opportunities and they continue to do that,” said Catherine Colopy, a 2022 KCCC graduate who works in the accounting department at United Aggregates. “It’s very special to be here and know that they’re giving back to a place that I care so much about.”

The truck will carry the KCCC logo on each side, as well as a photo of young children developing a love for construction and building things.

“We wanted to partner with the career center. The truck really represents not only our ongoing commitment, but it also is a sign of our pride in our community and homegrown talent. Our homegrown kids are very important to all industries, and we depend on those future kids to help us build infrastructure and contribute to the community,” said John Ellis, president of Ellis Brothers.

The staff of the career center were overwhelmed by the donation and the commitment from Ellis Brothers.

“It's so important (the partnership). We are transferring from Colby Clippinger to Joe Stallard, as a teacher. You wonder if some of those partnerships leave, because of the teacher and their relationship. But, Ellis Brothers is making that commitment it is about the program and the students and the community. We’re very, very grateful for that. And grateful for the donation and the ongoing 50 cents per yard. That will be great for the building trades program,” said KCCC Superintendent Kathy Greenich.