In an episode of The Building Texas Show titled Is This the Best Paid Job Training in Texas Right Now?, host Justin McKenzie visits Luling to talk with Ari Arias, executive director of the Luling Economic Development Corporation, about how a town best known for the Watermelon Thump is preparing its residents for a new wave of manufacturing jobs. The conversation highlights why this matters: Luling is transitioning from its oil-town past to an aerospace and advanced manufacturing hub, and the strategies being deployed could serve as a model for other rural communities seeking to attract high-tech industry without losing their identity.
Arias, who came to Luling in 2014, says aerospace is changing the local economy. She says X-Bow Systems, a solid rocket manufacturing company, is making Luling its primary site of operations and building up workforce and internship programs. A second company, Quantum Engineering, does non-destructive testing (NDT) and, she says, plans five campuses on its 30 acres, with 300 to 400 new employees hoped for in three to five years. "We're not just that little oil town we once were," Arias says. The implications are significant: these companies bring not only jobs but also the need for a skilled local workforce, which is why Arias's strategy starts in the schools.
After noticing that career and technical education (CTE) advisory meetings had stopped, Arias says she reached out to the mayor and, separately, to David Smith, CTE director for Luling ISD, to bring them back. She now chairs the CTE advisory committee for Luling ISD. The EDC has also partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Texas on a seven-week Tesla career pathway program for residents ages 18 to 21, who are paid during on-the-job training and guaranteed a job if they want it; the program is entering its second year. Additionally, the EDC has begun exploring an NDT internship path with Quantum Engineering, with Texas State Technical College helping students advance through certification levels, and launched the Luling Investment for Tomorrow (LIFT) grant program for local businesses and small manufacturers.
Arias says the opportunity is about access as much as jobs. With X-Bow nearby, some residents "only have to go eight minutes up the road to go work every day." She also fields steady inquiries from developers about retail sites and utilities, and points to about 500 homes planned north of town over the next couple of years. Growth, she says, has to fit the town. "We don't want Luling to lose that small town feel, that downtown charm," Arias says. McKenzie urges travelers to get off the highway and walk Luling's Main Street. Arias agrees that site selectors are taking notice: "Luling is on the map for sure."
The full episode is available on The Building Texas Show's episode page and on YouTube. The show, hosted by Justin McKenzie, tells the stories of the founders, community leaders and projects shaping Texas, from economic development and small business to conservation and education. New episodes publish weekly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.
