‘Big Techs’ tour offers public look inside Longview’s manufacturing industries

LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) - Have you ever wondered: How it’s made? Well, the East Texas community was built with industries just like this one. People got a chance to suit up and see if for themselves Saturday.

Big Techs is an annual industry tour providing unique access to restricted areas.

“I wish they would’ve had that when I was younger to see some of these things!” Clint Ross, INVISTA tech service and development lab manager said.

“If you’ve always been curious, ‘What goes on behind the gate? It’s a great opportunity,” Timothy Smith, Director of Workforce Development at Longview Economic Development Corporation said.

The event showcases job opportunities for kids interested in manufacturing work and for adults looking for a career switch.

“It helps dispel the myth that manufacturing is dirty, low paid and not technical,” Smith said. “It actually exposes that these are STEM careers.”

“I think it’s great, especially for the kids,” Ross said. “It gives them an opportunity to see there’s options in the area you’re not normally used to seeing.”

Plastic for Sharpie caps, toothbrushes, and even contact lenses are just a few of the items made right here in East Texas.

“A lot of the manufacturers here create parts that are distributed around the world,” Smith said.

Smith said a large part of Longview’s industry success came from R.G. LeTourneau choosing to settle in the area to develop mining equipment and LeTourneau University.

“As LeTourneau grew, so did other subsidiary manufacturing,” Smith said. “The city created the Longview Economic Development Corporation to steer us away from a majority of oil and gas and start looking for ways to diversify our economy.”

Those changes brought companies like AAON, STEM-Co, and Komatsu.

“We started growing that manufacturing base and what you see today is a direct reflection of that history,” Smith said.

Ten Longview manufacturing plants were toured Saturday, and there was even an event downtown where “Little Techs” were able to get hands-on experience through the Gregg County Historical Museum and the WOW Museum.