| The skyline of N.C. A&T has changed somewhat over the past year. The beautiful, Deese Clock Tower stands strong at the center of campus and as the university’s tallest structure. From the benefactor to the construction company, the tower project turned out to be somewhat of an Aggie family affair.
William C. Cockerham Jr. ’10, owner of W.C. Construction Company, LLC, an unlimited licensed, commercial general contractor firm based out of Winston Salem, North Carolina, was awarded the contract to build the historical clock tower in the summer of 2015.
The project became more than a labor of love for Cockerham. It was the personification of the theoretical and practical education he received from A&T. The construction management graduate categorized the project and contract simply as, “monumental.”
“The Deese Tower gave me personally a tremendous amount of pride by having the opportunity to come back and be a part of such a monumental project. I felt that my investment into my education at N.C. A&T was returned by having the opportunity to work on such a historic project,” said Cockerham.
“Being an alumnus I wanted to make sure my team took pride in making this project a success. The tower gave us the opportunity to showcase our ability to manage a high profile project on the campus that the student, faculty, alumni and community were invested in seeing the outcome.”
After several months of construction, the project was dedicated on March 24, 2016.
Cockerham, a third-generation construction specialist, founded W.C. Construction Company, LLC in 2006. His staunch determination is to extend the legacy of quality construction practices that he learned from his late grandfather and father. Additionally, the instruction he received at A&T bears heavily on his role as a minority business owner as well as the perfection of his craft.
“As a graduate of North Carolina A&T in the construction management program, my education experience has played an important role into preparing me to be a leader in my industry,” said Cockerham. “In the classroom the professors were really keen on giving us real world experiences through the software they allowed us to use, internships and shadowing experiences they coordinated and relationships, [giving] us the opportunity to build through networking with one another.”
Cockerham’s company has worked on several projects on campus including office, classroom and athletic field renovations. The company is currently working on several other university campuses across the state of North Carolina.
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