CIM Program Seeks Donations for World of Concrete Auction

Wed September 18, 2013
Truck and Trailer Guide

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 — is seeking donations for its ninth annual auction to be held at the World of Concrete. The auction is scheduled for Jan. 22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The silent auction will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the live auction begins at 1 p.m.

According to Michael Philipps, chairman of the CIM auction committee, “The proceeds from the 2014 auction will benefit the CIM national steering committee (NSC) and support the current CIM programs, the executive MBA program, as well as help fund future program expansion.”

Organizers hope the 2014 auction is even bigger than the 2013 auction, which raised more than $615,000 in gross revenue. The money raised from the CIM auction will benefit the NSC and support the CIM programs at Middle Tennessee State University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Texas State University and the California State University — Chico.

“The NSC was pleased that the 2013 World of Concrete Auction surpassed the previous year’s total proceeds,” said Philipps. “This is yet another example of the high value the concrete industry places on the CIM program. The NSC appreciates that our industry donated over 150 items and all the bidders that helped make last year’s auction a huge success.”

“The NSC of CIM has raised more than $3.1 million through the previous eight CIM auctions,” said Brian Gallagher, CIM marketing committee chairman. “We’ve been blessed with tremendous support from the concrete industry. The World of Concrete Show Management, Hanley Wood Publications, The Concrete Producer magazine, Concrete Construction magazine, McNeilus and Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers have been with us from the beginning,” he added.

Previous auction items have included concrete mixer trucks, cement, skid steers, 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, mobile computers, sports memorabilia, sports travel packages, golf school packages and vacation travel packages.

Those interested in making a donation should contact CIM Auction Committee Chairman Michael Philipps at michaelf.philipps@cemex.com or 713/722-2969.

About CIM

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, 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 also are 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.

For more information, visit www.concretedegree.com.

This story also appears on Construction Equipment Guide.