San Antonio Manufacturers Association holds board meeting, luncheon and panel discussion at TSTC

(NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas) – The San Antonio Manufacturers Association (SAMA) held its quarterly board meeting and luncheon on July 10 at Texas State Technical College’s New Braunfels campus. The event included a regional industry panel discussion. 

Jonathan Hoekstra, TSTC’s executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer, gave a presentation about the college to the SAMA board members during their meeting before the luncheon. He described the “earn and learn” model that the campus participates in with the Texas Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (TX FAME) Lone Star Chapter. Students in the program have industry employment, with their education sponsored by their employers.

Hoekstra said TSTC’s New Braunfels student body will grow from 11 to roughly 120 students this fall, “never taking our eye off the ball on quality.”

“If you meet our people, you’ll understand that they are connected at heart level with what we do,” Hoekstra, who has been with TSTC for more than 20 years, said when asked why he stays with the college. “I really believe we are changing the way higher education gets done.” 

SAMA’s board meeting was followed by a luncheon, during which it welcomed new members before introducing the four-member industry panel. The panel represented the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce’s Workforce and Industry Development department, Seguin Economic Development Corp., Caterpillar Inc., and multinational automotive parts manufacturer Continental.

The panel shared information about some job growth opportunities and development in manufacturing methods coming to the region.

“Every time someone talks about green energy, they are talking about business for Seguin, Texas,” Mark Stratton, vice president and general manager of Caterpillar’s Industrial Power Systems – Large Engines, said.

Brandon Lane, plant manager of Continental’s New Braunfels facility, said some of the company’s many products are car sensors that help with cruise control and accident prevention.

“A challenge that we have to embrace is as we grow, we have to work with the education systems to make sure we have the workforce that we need to support systems,” he said.

“We are excited to partner with TSTC and TX FAME because we have a long way to go and we need the community to help us get there,” Stratton said at the end of the panel discussion.

San Antonio was the No. 1 city in the United States for population growth in 2023, according to the Census Bureau, and the Texas Labor Market projected an annual growth rate of 1.5-3.4% per year until 2030 for industrial employment opportunities across the state.

TSTC will add two new level-one certificate programs to the New Braunfels campus this fall: Industrial Systems and Welding Technology.

Registration continues for the fall semester at TSTC. For more information, go to tstc.edu.