AUSTIN, TX — Leaders from across Texas’ construction materials industry gathered at the Texas State University Concrete Industry Management (TXST CIM) program’s Scholarship Gala in San Marcos, Texas, to celebrate its mission of advancing education, workforce development, and leadership in the sector. The CIM program, through the help of its National Steering Committee and Patron's Board Foundation, provides more than $100,000 in scholarships to TXST CIM students annually to pursue high-demand careers in the aggregates, concrete, and cement industry.
Governor Greg Abbott, Texas State Senator Pete Flores, and other industry leaders joined members of the Texas Aggregates & Concrete Association (TACA), including TACA President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andrew Pinkerton, in recognizing the program’s growing impact across Texas.
The CIM program provides students with specialized education in aggregates, concrete, and construction materials, connecting classroom learning with real-world industry experience. Five universities in the United States offer a CIM degree program, including Texas State University, alongside programs in Tennessee, New Jersey, South Dakota, and California.
Abbott highlighted the importance of workforce development programs like CIM in supporting Texas’ continued economic expansion and infrastructure growth.
“This program transforms the lives of everybody it touches," he said. "CIM graduates have 100 percent job placement and earn the highest salary of any degree on campus. CIM graduates don't just pour foundations; they become foundations that form the future of the great state of Texas."
Flores highlighted the critical need to strengthen the state’s workforce pipeline. Drawing on his own story — growing up in Laredo, Texas, and beginning his career as a young game warden before rising to the Texas Senate — Flores encouraged students to recognize the opportunities ahead.
He emphasized that CIM students are stepping into a workforce demand that has too often gone unmet and reinforced that the only limits on their future are the ones they place on themselves. Flores also spent time engaging directly with students before and after the program, underscoring the importance of mentorship and industry connection.
TACA member companies have long supported CIM through scholarships, mentorship, and industry engagement, helping ensure a pipeline of talent to meet the demands of one of the nation’s fastest-growing states.
“CIM is helping build the next generation of leaders who will quite literally shape the future of Texas,” said Pinkerton, who serves on the CIM’s National Steering Committee. “As our state continues to grow, the need for a skilled, well-trained workforce in construction materials has never been more critical. We are proud to support a program that is preparing students for meaningful careers in an industry that underpins every community in our state.”
“As Texas leads the nation in growth, it is programs like CIM that ensure we have the workforce ready to build what comes next,” Pinkerton added.
