Archive for June, 2009

Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo vehicle flew over the Las Cruces International Airport at approximately 9:30 AM MST on Saturday, June 20. Originally planned as part of the formal groundbreaking ceremony of Spaceport America on Friday, June 19, a minor technical issue with an actuator and approaching thunderstorms compelled the WhiteKnightTwo to stop in Phoenix. Video of the flyover is available on YouTube.

More information about the groundbreaking and Spaceport America are available on-line:  www.spaceportamerica.com.

The 16th Annual NAFTA Institute “Supplier Meet the Buyer” Trade Conference attracted record crowds to Sunland Park, New Mexico on June 11-12. The event, held at the Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, began with business-to-business roundtables between over 250 suppliers and buyers from 43 maquiladoras such as Foxconn, Delphi, Bombardier, Toro, Sumitomo, ADC Telecommunications and Electrolux. An additional 300 small businesses attended the event to promote their products in the small business B2B sessions and to learn about cross-border trade.

On the following day, attendees heard from experts on a variety of issues ranging from border security to rail shipping to financing issues. There were also presentations regarding Foxconn’s San Jeronimo project, Union Pacific’s Santa Teresa rail relocation project, and the Punta Colonet port project.

The annual event is organized by the International Business Accelerator (IBA). Additional event hosts for 2009 included the New Mexico Economic Development Department Office of Mexican Affairs, The North American Institute (NAMI), the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance, Gobierno Municipal De Juarez, Western New Mexico University and the New Mexico Small Business Development Center (NMSBDC).

See related articles from the Las Cruces Sun-News, El Paso Times, New Mexico Business Journal .

The June 11th announcement by El Paso Electric and NRG Energy that a 92-megawatt solar-thermal plant will be built in Santa Teresa,  New Mexico is the latest announced renewable energy project slated for construction in Dona Ana County.   According to articles in the Las Cruces Sun-News and the Las Cruces Bulletin, the plant will be located near the Santa Teresa Port of Entry and Verde Corporate Realty’s industrial parks in Santa Teresa. The plant will use technology developed by eSolar, a California company El Paso Electric picked to develop a solar project for the utility.

The solar project announcement follows an announcement by R-Qubed Energy that it plans to build a $75 million biogas plant between Vado and Berino. The plant will convert cow manure from the local dairies into methane gas. The gas will be sold to PNM. Other by-products from the plant will include fertilizer, compost and recycled effluent water for re-use on farms. The announcement was one of the front-page stories in the June 5 edition of the New Mexico Business Weekly. Sapphire Energy’s $100 million investment in green crude from algae was also covered on the front-page of the edition.

The July meeting of the MVEDA Business on the Border Forum will be held on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM at the Day’s Inn Columbus Conference Center, 901 Avenida de Mesilla. The meeting will begin with a hot entree buffet.

Doug Lenberg, President of Real Green Building Systems (RGBS), will be the luncheon speaker for the July meeting.  RGBS is a consulting firm specializing in residential green construction products and techniques. RGBS has received a small business grant from Sandia National Laboratories. This grant was issued for research and evaluation of these technologies.

Luncheon cost is $15.00 per person, payable by cash, check or major credit card. The meeting is open to the public and reservations are not required.

The formal groundbreaking ceremony of Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport, will be webcast live on Friday, June 19, beginning a 11:00 a.m. MDT. The event will include a scheduled flyover by Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnight Two. Dignitaries will include Governor Bill Richardson, Daniela Glick, Chairwoman, New Mexico Spaceport Authority, Will Whitehorn, President, Virgin Galactic, Allan Lockheed Jr., son of Lockheed Founder Allan Loughead, George Nield, Associate Administrator FAA/AST and Steve Landeene, Executive Director, Spaceport America.

Prior to the groundbreaking, public events are being held in Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences. Event schedules and a link to the webcast are on the Spaceport America website:  www.spaceportamerica.com.