Luling, Texas: Aerospace Boom Brings Paid Job Training

In a recent episode of The Building Texas Show titled Is This the Best Paid Job Training in Texas Right Now?, host Justin McKenzie travels to Luling to speak with Ari Arias, executive director of the Luling Economic Development Corporation, about the town's transformation from a quiet oil community to a growing aerospace hub. Arias explains that X-Bow Systems, a solid rocket manufacturing company, is establishing its primary operations in Luling and developing workforce and internship programs. Additionally, Quantum Engineering, which specializes in non-destructive testing (NDT), plans to build five campuses on its 30 acres and hopes to employ 300 to 400 people within three to five years. "We're not just that little oil town we once were," Arias says, highlighting the shift in the local economy.

Arias's workforce strategy begins in the schools. After noticing that career and technical education (CTE) advisory meetings had stopped, she reached out to the mayor and David Smith, CTE director for Luling ISD, to revive them. 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. Furthermore, 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 emphasizes that 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. However, she stresses that growth must fit the town: "We don't want Luling to lose that small town feel, that downtown charm." McKenzie urges travelers to get off the highway and walk Luling's Main Street, and 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 episode page and on YouTube.