听Meridian Waste North Carolina, LLC, a non-hazardous, integrated solid waste services company, announces the company鈥檚 second contribution of $5,000 to Wake Tech Foundation in support of Wake Tech Community College to fund vocational skills scholarships. This gift is the second installment of a $15,000 pledge.听
Established in 2024, the Meridian Waste Scholarship for Clean Communities supports students enrolled in Wake Tech鈥檚 Diesel and Heavy Equipment Technology program. This scholarship will help prepare students with the required industrial educational training needed for today鈥檚 workforce, such as diesel mechanics and heavy equipment operators. So far, four students have been the recipients of this unique scholarship, out of an eventual total of six.听
鈥淲ake Tech is such an asset to Meridian Waste, Wake County, and the greater Triangle region as a whole,鈥� stated Patrick Messinger, Meridian Waste鈥檚 Area President for North Carolina. 鈥淚n particular, the College鈥檚 focus on vocational skills is vital to industries such as ours to help ensure a pool of qualified and ready-to-work individuals are available to keep our solid waste trucks and landfill heavy equipment in safe operating condition to support our overarching goal of maintaining clean communities.鈥�听
Wake Tech鈥檚 Eastern Wake 4.0 campus opened at the end of 2024 and is near Meridian Waste鈥檚 Shotwell Environmental Park in Wendell, NC, which was the impetus for the outreach by Meridian Waste to Wake Tech. With a focus on technology-forward education and workforce development programs, Eastern Wake 4.0 is Wake Tech’s newest site, along the Interstate 87/U.S. Highway 64 corridor in Wendell. Eastern Wake 4.0 refers to the term Industry 4.0, a reference to a fourth industrial revolution, with the convergence of machines and processes with information and communications technology, such as 5G, big data, cloud computing and smart manufacturing. Plans for the 106-acre site include a Public Safety Simulation Complex, a General Education and Students Services Building and a Technology 4.0 facility.听
For students interested in applying for one of the $2,500 scholarships, visit and ensure applications are submitted by Oct. 28, 2025.听