CIM raises $300,000 at fourth annual auction

Las Vegas—The National Steering Committee for the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program—a business intensive program that awards students with a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Concrete Industry Management—raised $300,000 at its fourth annual auction, held in conjunction with the World of Concrete on Thurs., Feb. 5, 2009.

According to Wally Johnson of U.S. Concrete Products, the 2009 CIM Auction Chairman, "The money raised will benefit the CIM National Steering Committee and support the current CIM as well as help fund future program expansion."

Support for the event was provided by the World of Concrete (WOC) Show Management, Hanley Wood Publications, McNeilus Companies, Inc., and Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers.

In addition to the live auction, a silent auction was held this year. Auction items included cement, a skid steer, concrete saws, drills, mixers, vibrators, scaffolding, safety equipment, screeds, fiber transport systems, dust collectors, NDT equipment, decorative concrete tools, water meters, pumps, generators, training sessions, reference books, advertisements, laptop computers, sports memorabilia, sports travel packages, golf school packages, and vacation travel packages.

Receiving tremendous support from the concrete industry, the CIM program was the first of its kind in United States—a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Concrete Industry Management. The need for such a program was recognized in 1994 and was put into action by the concrete industry. The end-result was a partnership between the concrete industry and Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) to develop the CIM program, implementing it with its first two students in 1996. Available at MTSU, Arizona State University, California State University, Chico, Texas State University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the program has been successful for both the industry and the graduates.

The goal of the program is to produce broadly educated, articulate graduates grounded in basic construction management, who are knowledgeable of concrete technology and techniques and are able to manage people and systems as well as promote products or services related to the concrete industry. It entails a broad range of courses, from English and history to science and mathematics. A series of required business courses such as finance, marketing, management and business law are also taken throughout the length of the program.

The concrete-specific courses teach the fundamentals of concrete, properties and testing, concrete construction and more. All of these courses provide much more than what is simply in the text—they emphasize problem solving, quality assurance and customer satisfaction. They utilize practical case studies and an internship to make sure the student obtains real-world experience essential to starting a successful career. Additional opportunities for growth include on-campus socials and other organized events providing industry networking and professional development. To learn more about the program, visit www.concretedegree.com.