Nick Carter: To Jeddah and back

by Uliana Trylowsky

Recognizing the achievements of LU alumni never grows old. It’s always with great pride that their successes appear on the pages of Cadence, and learning that Nick Carter ’75, B.B.A. accounting, was recently recognized as Citizen of the Year by the Lumberton Chamber of Commerce is no exception.

As stated by the chamber in their newsletter, “Nick Carter’s journey is a testament to his vision, hard work and dedication to both his professional endeavors and his community. His leadership not only grew companies but also helped shape industries, leaving a lasting impact on the business world and beyond.” This accolade perfectly captures Carter’s crowning achievement in a truly stellar career that started at Lamar University and took Carter all over the world.

After graduating in 1975, Carter started his career in Beaumont at Wathen, DeShong and Co. as an accountant. He soon moved to the corporate sector. In 1977, Carter joined South Hampton Resources in Silsbee, where he would continue to work in various roles until reaching the position of president and CEO in 1987. Over the years, Carter built South Hampton Resources into a successful corporation with more than $300 million in revenue and 250 employees.

In 2005, Carter was named executive vice president of South Hampton’s parent company, Trecora Resources. He played a central role in Trecora’s listing on the NASDAQ and later the NYSE. In 2009, he was named president and CEO of Trecora Resources.

That same year, Carter was joined the board of Al Masane Al Kobra Mining Co. (AMAK) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. From 2009 to 2017, Carter served as AMAK’s chief commercial officer and traveled the world negotiating deals for the mining company.

In 2018, Trecora sold their interest in AMAK, and in 2022 Carter retired from the board of Trecora, capping his successful career of over 40 years.

Perhaps influenced by his international experiences, which showed him the importance of keeping an open mind to international business, the Carters decided to support Lamar University through the creation of a study abroad fund for business students participating in international study programs. The Nick and Judy Carter International Travel Fund has supported dozens of business students on short-term and long-term study abroad programs.

At subsequent meetings with their students, often over lunch at the Galloway building, the Carters always hear stories of how impactful the study abroad programs were. Many students share impressions about traveling overseas for the first time, getting their first passport and being exposed to new cultures and people. The follow-up visits with the students always leave Carter and his family feeling confident that their support is making a real difference in the students’ lives.

Carter’s wife, Judy (Smith) ‘79, and his daughters, Nikki (Carter) Smith ’92 and Mandy (Carter) Ternes ’03, all have B.B.A.s in accounting from Lamar University. Nikki’s and Mandy’s husbands, Darren and Andrew, also have business degrees from LU.

Carter has served on the College of Business Board of Advisors and as a trustee on the Lamar University Foundation Board of Trustees.