Archive for May, 2010

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

By Gabriel Vasquez

A spark of genius is returning to Las Cruces. The second annual Re-Energize America conference, slated for Thursday and Friday, June 3 and 4, will corral a group of national experts in the energy field to speak on various topics related to short-term planning for long-term energy independence. U.S. Representative Harry Teague is once again the program’s honorary chair.

“Developing a comprehensive energy plan that incorporates both traditional and renewable energy resources is critical in cementing southern New Mexico as a leader in the energy industry,” Teague said, announcing the event.

The two-day conference, to be held at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, will offer attendees the opportunity to discuss domestic solutions to energy problems with leaders in government, industry and academia.  Job creation will be a focus of the conference.

“This has been one of my top priorities while in Congress, working with great organizations like NMSU to develop research and production programs that take advantage of our state’s unique resources,” Teague said.

According to the program’s agenda, the conference will go “beyond policy discussions,” with a distinct focus on how participants can help develop a short-term plan for long-term sustainability. Participants will listen to panelists speak about creating new energy jobs, jobs through investments in energy efficiency, the technology behind energy independence, new energy jobs for New Mexico, creating new energy entrepreneurs, new jobs in nuclear energy and the role of oil and gas during the transition. Active discussions will be held during panel sessions.

“Energy is one of the most important issues we’re faced with in this country,” said Abbas Ghassemi, director of NMSU’s Institute for Energy and the Environment, announcing the conference. “Energy availability, sustainability, delivery and impact on natural resources like water and reliable and dependable sources of energy are so significant to the sustenance of the way of life that we have.”

NMSU’s Institute for Energy & the Environment is sponsoring the conference with support from the Arrowhead Center’s PROSPER Project, International Relations Institute, Water Resources Research Institute and the College of Arts and Sciences.

At last year’s conference, the event featured an impressive lineup of speakers that included Steven Chu, U.S. secretary of energy; Dick Williams, president of Shell Wind; Diane Denish, lieutenant governor; Jeff Trucksess, president of Green Earth Fuels; Bob Gallagher, president of the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association; Paul Foster, CEO of Western Refining; and Tom Bowles, science advisor to Governor Bill Richardson.

“At Shell, we operate on three hard truths,” Williams said during last year’s conference. “One, our source of energy is going to die. Second, the easy-to-get stuff is gone. Third, anything we do has an environmental stress.”

Panelists and speakers this year include Barbara Couture, president of NMSU; Jim Ford, vice president of federal government affairs for ConocoPhillips; Jason Pyle, CEO of Sapphire Energy; Steve Fischmann, state senator; Russell Schmitt, president of CleanSwitch; Jon Goldstein, secretary of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department; Jeff Bingaman, U.S. senator; Margie Tatro, director of Fuel and Water Systems for Sandia National Laboratories; and Arun Bose, program manager for the National Energy Technology Laboratory. Several other speakers from various sectors related to the energy industry are also slated to make an appearance.

The conference is free and open to the public, but registration is required and is limited to 400 participants. At last year’s conference, more than 400 showed up for the two-day event.

“We hope participants and audience members alike will participate in coming up with solutions,” Ghassemi said. “Solutions to these problems are very complex in nature. It is not as simple as coming up with a technology … to solve all the problems.

“(Attendees) will be able to participate in developing a plan on how to go about achieving energy independence. We cannot come up with a solution that is forced down; it really needs to be a grassroots, working up as well as the highest level of our local, state and federal governmental policies that meet each other halfway.”

Other conference sponsors include ConocoPhillips, Lockheed Martin, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Sapphire Energy and the Carlsbad, N.M., Department of Development.

“We have not come close to reaching the limits of renewable energy technologies and now is the time to collaborate our efforts and resources,” Teague said. “Building off the success of last year’s conference, this year’s Re-Energize America will once again bring together policy, industry and academic experts and help move New Mexico’s energy future forward.”

For more information on the conference and to register, visit energize.nmsu.edu or call Karen Mikel at 646-2162 or Aggie Saltman at 646-9323.

Union Pacific Foundation is now accepting grant applications from a variety of organizations in a community served by Union Pacific Railroad, which includes Dona Ana County. The Foundation has a strong interest in promoting organizational effectiveness among nonprofits. To that end, the Foundation will dedicate the majority of these grants to help nonprofit organizations build their capacity, increase their impact, and operate more efficiently and effectively.

The Foundation will be particularly receptive to proposals that fall within the following categories:

• Community and Civic: To assist community-based organizations and related activities that improves and enriches the general quality of life in the community. This category includes organizations such as aquariums, botanical gardens, children’s museums, history/science museums, public libraries, public television and radio, zoos, etc.
• Fine Arts: To create a wider opportunity for the enjoyment of and participation in the visual and performing arts. A limited amount of funding is available for this category. Preference will be given to those organizations with whom the Foundation has an established relationship.
• Health and Human Services: To assist organizations dedicated to improving the level of health care or providing human services in the community. The Foundation is proud to support the United Ways in numerous Union Pacific communities. Applications will not be accepted from United Ways as funding is awarded annually at the Foundation’s discretion. Applications from member agencies of United Ways already supported by Union Pacific Foundation are limited to capital requests only.

Applications for the Community-Based Grant Program are accepted only through the online process and are due by August 15, 2010. Details for submitting applications are available on-line.

Release courtesy of NMSU News Center

WRITER: Justin Bannister, (575) 646-5981, jbannist@nmsu.edu
CONTACT: Marie Borchert, (575) 646-7839, mhaaland@ad.nmsu.edu

Registration is now open for New Mexico State University’s Camp Innoventure, where middle school students spend a week learning how to create their own business. The camp is sponsored by NMSU’s Arrowhead Center and runs June 14-19 at the university.

“Students will get a true idea of starting a business, as well as producing and marketing a product on a very small scale,” said Marie Borchert, an educational specialist for Arrowhead Center. “We want this camp to inspire students to understand more about entrepreneurship, innovation and the marketplace.”

Camp Innoventure is modeled after Arrowhead’s yearly Innoventure competition, which encourages students from across the state to use science, engineering and business skills to solve problems. Students participating in the summer program will put together a business plan, make a product and then sell it on the Las Cruces Farmer’s Market on the last day of the camp. The curriculum is based on NxLevel’s “Buzz on Biz” textbook.

Borchert said the camp is designed to help students understand the process of developing products from the idea phase to production. Students will practice the skills of problem solving, business writing, teamwork, meeting deadlines and communication.

The camp is open only to students entering 5th-8th grade in the fall. The cost is $70, which includes project materials, most lunches, workbook materials and camp backpack. Five scholarships are available, based on need. For more information, contact Borchert at (575) 646-7839 or visit http://campinnoventure.eventbrite.com to register.

The June meeting of the MVEDA Business on the Border Forum will be held on Tuesday, June 1, 2010 from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM at the Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces, 705 S. Telshor. The meeting will begin with a hot entree buffet followed by a brief update by MVEDA staff.

The June Forum will feature Gail E. Houser, Western Regional Director of the National Tooling and Machining Association. The National Tooling and Machining Association is the national representative for the 1,400+ small machining companies located throughout the United States.

Mr. Houser is a professional manufacturing and marketing executive with 35 years experience in custom precision machining, machine tool and capital equipment modernization. His experience includes being a third-generation small business owner in Phoenix.  He and his wife, Denise, relocated to Las Vegas, New Mexico three years ago.

Luncheon cost is $20.00 per person, payable by cash, check or major credit card. Due to space limitations, reservations are required. Please confirm your attendance no later than Thursday, May 27^th by clicking the button below or by calling the office at (575) 525-2852. The meeting is open to the public.

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

By Gabriel Vasquez

The dedicated staff of business research consultants at New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center is patiently waiting for new assistance proposals to start arriving before the institution’s May 31 deadline.

Arrowhead’s Entrepreneurship Institute is a one-stop resource for people looking to start or expand a business. Each summer, consultants at the institute work on eight to 10 projects from potential entrepreneurs, existing business owners and nonprofit organizations. The institute’s goal is to launch successful startups, help existing businesses expand or make financial adjustments and help nonprofits better manage their assets.

“At this point, we need to get some more interest in our business assistance programs so we can begin to funnel some of these projects in the door,” said Matt Elgersma, Arrowhead Center business research and outreach coordinator. “If our clients’ goals are feasible, we can further their efforts in either creating or expanding their business.”

Elgersma said potential clients should be ready to invest time, money and hard work into their business plan, beyond “the hobby stage.” “Every project we get is custom – it’s unique in the sense that we’re addressing individual needs and questions,” he said. “In order to be more effective, we must solve problems through research-based strategies and recommendations.”

That means potential clients who submit an application to receive business assistance should have already done the preliminary legwork, “at least a minimal amount of research so we can better understand their needs,” Elgersma said.

In December 2009, the Entrepreneurship Institute launched its full-service Entrepreneurship Laboratory, which includes a library of entrepreneurship-related publications and journals, computers equipped with business simulation software and step-by-step workbooks that serve as “how to” manuals for starting a business in New Mexico. The laboratory is free and open to the public.

Arrowhead’s consulting services are sometimes offered for a fee, but Elgersma and the Arrowhead staff encourage clients to invest more into their own business in order to implement the recommendations of the staff.

“It’s not about revenue-generation for us,” Elgersma said. “We have access to all the subject matter and expertise the university affords, along with industry professionals in just about every field. We’re here to help.”

The institute also offers consultation services free of charge to one nonprofit each summer.

Arrowhead’s consultants consist of industry professionals and graduate students, each working in their respective fields or business sectors, who collaborate to work on the summer projects.

Last summer, Elgersma said he received about 30 applications, 10 of which were accepted. He said the more information a client provides and the more knowledgeable he is about his particular business or industry, the better the chance of Arrowhead taking on the project.

“We particularly look for the projects that look like they have a lot of promise – we evaluate them with the resources we have available and make a joint decision,” Elgersma said. “We then start with our own general research, from industry, to type of business, to the local market. We focus heavily on local market research because that’s where most businesses will be the most competitive.”

Aside from helping launch and expand businesses, Arrowhead’s staff can also help with internal operations trouble­shooting such as human resource management, employee recruitment, cash flow management, streamlining inventory and even exporting or importing particular products.

“And if the owner is interested in selling, we can help him or her find a potential buyer and use the proper negotiating strategies to ensure they protect their position throughout the entire process,” Elgersma said.

The institute can also create marketing plans to launch new products or revamp existing ones, or create a different brand for a company altogether, Elgersma said.

Project submissions are open to any local business, potential entrepreneur or nonprofit organization and are due by May 31. Project submission forms can be accessed by visiting www.arrowheadcenter.org and clicking on the Entrepreneurship Institute tab.

For more information, call Elgersma at 646-7832 or email melgersm@nmsu.edu.