Here at Locke, manufacturing precast concrete is only part of what we do. We’re just as focused on building people, and that starts with the next generation of engineers, designers, and innovators. Each summer, our internship program brings in talented students from across the region and gives them hands-on experience in a real-world, high-impact environment. 

This year, our internship program welcomed students in a variety of roles and provided them the opportunity to rotate through several departments such as Quality Control, Sales, Marketing, and Engineering, based on their individual interests. This allowed them to gain exposure to multiple areas of Locke and apply what they learned to their future careers.

Where Creativity Meets Concrete

Our marketing team hosted Mitchell, a student from the University of Houston’s Media Production department. He was tasked with the documentation of plant activities through photo and video for use in marketing materials, as well as internal videos for our employees.  

Some of Mitchell’s projects included social media content for LinkedIn showcasing prominent projects we’ve been a part of, internal videos focused on plant-specific safety procedures, and general documentation of operations, including concrete pours and interviews with our Master Precaster employees. 

Engineering Solutions, Strengthening Processes

Our next three interns, Cannon, Pierce, and Emme, were tasked with projects related to a major bridge construction project. With backgrounds in concrete management and engineering, each of them explored a variety of roles that supported both this project and broader operations at Locke. Their primary focus was identifying ways to improve production efficiency. Approaching the workflow with fresh eyes, they were able to pinpoint areas where operations could be streamlined. The training they received in concrete production provided a strong foundation for recognizing proper procedures and spotting inefficiencies in the plant.

Cannon and Pierce also spent time in the Quality Control lab, gaining valuable hands-on experience with how concrete is tested to ensure consistency and performance. As concrete and construction management majors, this exposure to quality assurance practices deepened their understanding of the standards required before product shipment. Emme, a civil engineering student, was able to assist with CAD drawings to further her technical drawing skills for engineering projects. She also worked on data driven tasks, helping to create spreadsheets using Excel’s formulas and scripting to sort through data and automate tasks.

Pierce also had the opportunity to explore the Sales side of Locke, going over general customer service techniques with industry experts and learning the best ways to interact with customers by phone and in person. He also learned how to identify potential clients who could benefit from precast solutions and how to take initiative in those outreach efforts.

Building Smarter with Data

Our final intern, Abhishek, contributed to our technological efforts within the Data Science department. His work focused on automating dashboards and spreadsheets to analyze key company data and provide visibility to certain trends. For example, Abhishek created a stock prediction model to help the supply chain team optimize their inventory levels based on previous data to increase efficiency when it came to restocking supplies, which prevented overstocking or “stockouts”. He also created an internal application designed to support production and fabrication teams in their daily operations. 

Laying the Groundwork for Future Success

Each intern had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience throughout both the office and the plant, exposing them to a wide range of real-world scenarios. The skills and insights they developed will serve them well, not just in precast concrete, but across many facets of their future careers. This glimpse into our internship program reflects just one step in our ongoing commitment to developing the next generation of talent, and we look forward to continuing that journey with more bright, driven minds in the years to come.