Sparkman brings half-century of experience to concrete program

Calling his current position “an opportunity I just couldn’t turn down,” Alan Sparkman has taken the reins of the young and growing concrete industry management program at South Dakota State University.

This is the sixth year for the program, which is housed in the Department of Construction and Concrete Industry Management. He replaces Tim Hostettler, who was the program’s first director. The South Dakota Board of Regents gave final approval for the program in May 2021 with entry-level classes offered that fall.

Beginning with two students, the program has grown to 70over 60 students this fall, and there are 12 alumni with the first coming in December 2024.

Hostettler stepped away after classes ended in May. “Tim Hostettler really built this program. So much credit needs to go to Tim,” said Sparkman, adding that Hostettler will teach a class this fall.

SDSU is the fifth U.S. university to offer the program and the first one in the 12-state, Upper Midwest region.

The Concrete Industry Management National Steering Committee and it’s the local North Central Region patrons selected SDSU as its candidate to launch an Upper Midwest program after a six-month selection process in 2020. The groups are providing SDSU $1.5 million over five years to develop the degree program and assist in employing a program director, recruiter and laboratory manager.

A Tennessee connection

The first university to offer the program was Middle Tennessee State. Sparkman’s previous job was executive director of the Tennessee Concrete Association.

He was at a national meeting when he heard that Hostettler was leaving. While he didn’t have much knowledge about the SDSU program, he wanted to apply.

“I was around when that first program was launched at Middle Tennessee State in 1996 with two students. It had its first grads in 2000. SDSU opened with two students. It’s really fun for me to be here.

“I think this is hugely important for our industry. There is a demand for more graduates than the five programs are producing. There is 100% job placement. Often graduates field four to five offers. Five years after graduation, over 70% of the graduates are still in the concrete industry. It’s a great path for a young person to get on,” Sparkman extolled.

He added, “We’re not training people to be concrete finishers. Graduates take jobs in sales, estimating, production, management or technical services and as construction superintendent.

Family’s concrete heritage dates to 1947

Sparkman could teach students about any job in the industry because he has held them all except for working in the mechanic’s shop, he said.

His grandfather, L.B. Sparkman, was a World War II Navy vet who returned to rural eastern Kentucky working as a contractor. A salesman came by a job site where L.B. was hand-mixing concrete. The salesman said the elder Sparkman should buy a ready-mix plant. To get rid of the salesman, L.B. said, “Sure, go ahead and ship it to me.”

This was 1947. A few months later, he got a call from the railroad that a train car with his shipment had arrived. L.B. was surprised, but he didn’t send it back.

Instead, he formed London-Clay Ready Mix in London, Kentucky. Alan Sparkman and his father purchased the business from other family members in 1986. His dad was educated as an engineer and helped build the Hoover Dam and Glen Canyon Dam in his first job after college. London-Clay Ready Mix was sold in 1994, when Alan’s father exited the business.

Comes with teaching experience

At age 67, Alan Sparkman has experience in everything from concrete finisher to company president to industry executive director to educator.

“I’ve been in the industry more than 50 years. Concrete is an evolving material and it’s always changing … but I figure I’ve learned a few things in 50 years. I see it as a position of tremendous influence on a future generation. It’s just an amazing opportunity. I couldn’t think of anything I would rather do.”

Sparkman served as executive director of the Tennessee Concrete Association from 1998 until he joined SDSU June 22. Concurrent with his executive director role, he was an assistant professor at Middle Tennessee State during 2010-11 school year and was an adjunct professor for graduate classes in 2013.

There he developed a love for teaching and mentoring. Interestingly, Hostettler was in an online concrete sustainability class he taught.

This fall Sparkman is teaching concrete 101, an internship class, the senior capstone course, a 200-level concrete materials class and a 300-level production of concrete class. One of the goals is to hire an assistant professor, but going forward he still plans to teach a couple courses per semester. “I enjoy it.”

2030 goal — 100 CIM majors

al of having 100 concrete industry management majors by 2030.

Currently, each student receives a $2,000 per semester scholarship through the North Central Region patrons, a group of industry companies and trade associations in the 12-state Upper Midwest region. In addition, several students have won competitive scholarships from industry programs in the last two years under Hostettler’s guidance.

Sparkman takes seriously his role as the new face of the program.

Asked about his plan for his first year, he said, “I really want to earn the trust and respect of the students. Tim is the only faculty member these students have known.”

While Sparkman is new territory for the SDSU students, South Dakota is new territory for Sparkman. Beyond a few years in Arizona and Colorado as a child, since sixth grade Sparkman has lived in Kentucky or Tennessee.

“It’s a big geographic move for us, but my wife was all in because she knows how perfectly suited this job is to me. I’m full time here in Brookings.” Darla, his wife of 47 years, is splitting time between Nashville, where they moved to in 2003, and London, the small Kentucky town where his parents and Darla’s mother still live.

“I’ve really enjoyed being here. The lack of traffic, the pace. It’s been fun to come back to a small town,” Sparkman said.