Archive for the ‘Announcements’ Category
Spaceport America Awards Three Contracts to Companies Located in New Mexico
Release courtesy of Spaceport America
LAS CRUCES, NM – The New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) has announced three contract awards to companies located in the State of New Mexico. The contracts include Information Technology (IT) Services, Space Operations Services, and the Southern Road Environmental Analysis.
Fiore Industries of Albuquerque was selected as the IT Services contractor. Fiore will be tasked with the development of the necessary policies and procedures for operations and maintenance of the IT infrastructure and applications, plus the management of the computing facilities and associated network at Spaceport America. Fiore’s time and materials contract has an estimated value of $310,000 over two years.
The Space Operations Services contract was awarded to White Sands Research and Developers, LLC (WSRD) of Las Cruces. WSRD will provide policy and procedure development, support for airfield control, horizontal and vertical launch operations, flight safety and launch-site licensing preparation. WSRD’s time and materials contract has an estimated value of $698,000 over two years.
The Southern Road Environmental Analysis contract was awarded to Parametrix of Albuquerque. Parametrix will provide environmental compliance, services, and analyses, including the assistance of the preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the spaceport’s southern road, which is County Road 39 from I-25 Upham exit. Parametrix will operate under a time and materials contract at an estimated value of $192,000 for one year.
About Fiore Industries
Fiore of Albuquerque, NM has over 22 years of successful operations experience and achievement. The company’s Information Technology Division provides high-level Oracle consulting services and IT support services that include applications software development, and help desk services to government IT users. Fiore was named as one of NM Business Weekly’s “Top 25 Technology Companies” from 2002 to 2006. They were named the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year for 2009. For more information, please visit www.fiore-ind.com.
About White Sands Research and Developers, LLC (WSRD)
WSRD is based in Las Cruces, NM and is experienced in a wide range of services. They have provided service to White Sands Missile Range, NASA Johnson Test Faculty, and New Mexico Space Grant Consortium. WSRD services include engineering modeling, simulation and related analysis; technical support, training and software development. Their expertise includes modeling, simulation & analysis of conceptual, historical or modern vehicles. This includes estimation of aerodynamic characteristics, estimation of mass properties, performance prediction, trajectory analysis, accident simulation and environments modeling. For more information, please visit www.wsrds.com.
About Parametrix
Parametrix of Albuquerque, NM possesses many multidisciplinary capabilities including: natural and cultural resources; transportation; environmental engineering and sciences; water, toxicology and sciences; community building; surveying and interdisciplinary services. In 2008, Parametrix added cultural resources to the core services offered through the company’s acquisition of Taschek Environmental Consulting in New Mexico. For more information, please visit www.parametrix.com.
About Spaceport America
Spaceport America is the first purpose-built commercial spaceport in the world. It is situated on 18,000 acres adjacent to the US Army White Sands Missile Range. Virgin Galactic, Sir Richard Branson’s company, is the spaceports anchor tenant. Spaceport America has been providing commercial launch services since 2006. Phase One of the construction for the spaceport is expected to be complete in 2012. Phase Two of the construction and pre-operations activities has begun and includes improvements to the vertical launch complex, the paving of the southern road to the spaceport, and the development of a world-class Visitor Experience for students, tourists and space launch customers.
To date, there have been 14 vertical launches at the Spaceport. Customers include Armadillo Aerospace, UP Aerospace, MOOG FTS and Lockheed Martin. The Spaceport also hosts a student launch annually in concert with the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium. Last year there were over 800 students and teachers participating. The Spaceport presents a tremendous opportunity to excite and inspire our students in science and math. The Spaceport Visitor Experience is strongly focused on this objective. The economic impact of launches, tourism and new construction at Spaceport America are already delivering on the promise of economic development to the people of New Mexico. Over 1,000 jobs for New Mexicans have been generated to date. For more information, please visit: www.spaceportamerica.com
For more information on public tours of the Spaceport, please visit: www.ftstours.com
Facebook: Spaceport America, or follow us on Twitter: @Spaceport_NM
Commercial Brokers Featured at April Business in the Borderplex Forum
The April meeting of the MVEDA Business in the Borderplex Forum will be held on Tuesday, April 3, 2012 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.
The April Forum will feature local commercial real estate brokers and developers discussing the local commercial real estate market and opportunities in a changing market. Panel members are Kary Bulsterbaum, Steinborn/TCN Commercial Real Estate, and Jake Redfearn, NAI 1st Valley Commercial Real Estate.
Kary Bulsterbaum
Kary Bulsterbaum is an Associate Broker at Steinborn/TCN Commercial Real Estate, joining the firm in 2006. He has over 12+ years of brokerage & industry related experience and is part of the Grady Oxford Team at Steinborn/TCN Commercial Real Estate.
Jake Redfearn
Jake Redfearn specializes in retail and investment properties. He has worked with and represents national companies such as Church’s Chicken, US Bank, CVS and others. Jake handles leasing responsibility for three of the largest retail centers in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Luncheon cost is $20.00 per person, payable by cash, check or major credit card. The meeting is open to the public. A large turnout is expected so reservations are required. Please confirm your attendance by Thursday, March 29th by sending an email to rsvp@mveda.com or by calling the office at (575) 525-2852.
Secretary Barela Makes Announcement at MVEDA Meeting
Courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin
New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela, on his “32nd trip to Las Cruces and Doña Ana County since I joined the administration,” announced Tuesday, March 6, that Interceramic, a Chihuahua, Mexico-based manufacturer of ceramic tile, will establish a warehousing and distribution operation in Santa Teresa in the Santa Teresa Business Center. The company will lease an 80,000-squarefoot facility in Santa Teresa and create 30 jobs at its new operation.
“A major factor in the company’s selection of Santa Teresa was the establishment of an overweight cargo zone north of the Santa Teresa Port of Entry, which allows trucks with weights up to 96,000 pounds into this limited zone,” Barela said. “The establishment of this zone was a joint effort between the New Mexico Economic Development Department, the New Mexico Legislature, the New Mexico Partnership and the Border Industrial Association. Interceramic is the second company to take advantage of this unique zone on the U.S.-Mexico border within the past seven months.”
Barela was in Las Cruces speaking at the monthly Business in the Borderplex Forum hosted by the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance.
At the forum, Barela said the Interceramic announcement illustrates the economic potential of the entire border region, and how opportunity in Mexico, specifically Chihuahua, can benefit Doña Ana County.
“In the past four or five years, 75 Fortune 500 companies have moved to Chihuahua,” Barela said. “Mexico’s (gross domestic product) has grown 5.4 percent and their tax level is 10 percent lower at the state, federal and local levels than here in the states. “There have been 20,000 maquiladora jobs created in Juárez the past two years alone.” He said growth in Chihuahua benefits New Mexico: “What’s good for them is good for us.”
“It’s a golden opportunity for this region,” he said. “Whatever’s manufactured in Mexico has got to travel somewhere, and we want it to go through the distribution system here in New Mexico. It’s incredible what’s happening here. “We’re now competing with Texas.”
Interceramic, founded in 1979, is one of the largest tile manufacturers in North America, with a total production capacity of 450 million square feet per year in nine facilities in four different manufacturing complexes – three in Chihuahua and one in Garland, Texas.
“This is another sign that New Mexico is serious about attracting new employers, putting people to work, and fostering economic growth along our southern border,” said Gov. Susana Martinez. “Since day one, we have worked to make it easier to do business and create jobs in our state and Interceramic’s decision to come to Santa Teresa shows that those efforts are paying dividends.”
According to Gabriel Grijalva, Interceramic’s director of Supply Chain and Logistics, “The overweight zone and the rapid crossings at the Santa Teresa Port will allow us to transport our product into our U.S. market more economically and efficiently. In the future, we hope to expand our operations in Santa Teresa.”
With annual sales of approximately $500 million, Interceramic is a leading manufacturer of ceramic tile, bathroom fixtures, setting materials and natural stone. The company uses 240 franchise stores to distribute its product in Mexico, 14 stores in the south region of the U.S. located across Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Georgia, and 65 independent distributors for the rest of the U.S. and Canada.
Chihuahua-Based Interceramic to Establish a Warehousing and Distribution Operation in Santa Teresa
Release courtesy of the New Mexico Economic Development Department
SANTA FE – Governor Susana Martinez announced today that Interceramic, a Chihuahua City-based manufacturer of ceramic tile, will establish a warehousing and distribution operation in Santa Teresa, New Mexico in the Santa Teresa Business Center. Interceramic, which was founded in 1979, is one of the largest tile manufacturers in North America, with a total production capacity of 450 million square feet per year in nine facilities housed in four different manufacturing complexes: three in Chihuahua, Mexico and one in Garland, Texas.
“This is another sign that New Mexico is serious about attracting new employers, putting people to work, and fostering economic growth along our southern border,” said Governor Martinez. “Since day one we have worked to make it easier to do business and create jobs in our state and Interceramic’s decision to come to Santa Teresa shows that those efforts are paying dividends.”
The company will lease an 80,000-square-foot facility in Santa Teresa and create 30 jobs at its new operation. According to New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela, “A major factor in the company’s selection of Santa Teresa was the establishment of an overweight cargo zone north of the Santa Teresa Port of Entry, which allows trucks with weights up to 96,000 pounds into this limited zone. The establishment of this zone was a joint effort between the New Mexico Economic Development Department, the New Mexico Legislature, the New Mexico Partnership and the Border Industrial Association. Interceramic is the second company to take advantage of this unique zone on the U.S.-Mexico border within the past seven months.”
According to Gabriel Grijalva, Interceramic’s Director of Supply Chain and Logistics, “The overweight zone and the rapid crossings at the Santa Teresa Port will allow us to transport our product into our U.S. market more economically and efficiently. In the future, we hope to expand our operations in Santa Teresa.”
With annual sales of approximately $500 million, Interceramic is a leading manufacturer of ceramic tile, bathroom fixtures, setting materials, and natural stone. The company uses 240 franchise stores to distribute its product in Mexico, 14 stores in the south region of the U.S. located across Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Georgia, and 65 independent distributors for the rest of the U.S. and Canada. In addition to their North America operations, the company also has distribution centers in Panama and Guatemala and a venture in China to produce high design ceramic tile and offer it through exclusive local distributors.
Oh Canada: Neighbor to the North Eyes Business Opportunities in Southern NM
Canada's Trade with New Mexico Fact Sheet
Article of courtesy of the Las Cruces Sun-News, by Brook Stockberger
LAS CRUCES – The country on the other side of the United States’ international border has long been a source of commerce and business. No, not just the one about 50 or so miles south of Las Cruces, but the one about 1,500 miles to the north.
Last year the United State exported more than $280 billion in trade with Canada and imported more than $316 billion. Maybe some more of that pie can be sliced off for southern New Mexico.
Jeffrey Gray, trade commissioner for the General Consulate of Canada’s Los Angeles office, was is in Las Cruces for three days last week to tour White Sands Test Facility, White Sands Missile Range Business Development Office and other locations. His officer overseas the country’s business interest in the southwest. He said Canadian companies are interested in the unmanned aerial vehicle programs in the area as well as the aerospace industry at large.
“This trip is really fact finding for me,” Gray said. Representatives of Canada’s trade office in Phoenix were also in Albuquerque last week.
“Our main focus is to bring Canadians into the marketplace, bring locals up to Canada and look for opportunities for people to meet and do business,” Gray said. “We want to attract investment up north and help Canadians who are interested in investing in United States Southwest.” “Canada is getting known (for its) unmanned vehicle system industry,” Gray said. “In Alberta there’s a group called Canadian Center for Unmanned Vehicle Systems and they have … a lot of UAV testing going on.”
Gray said he uses a lot of his time looking after the aerospace, defense and security areas on behalf of Canadian industry and the Canadian government. That made the Las Cruces area with WSMR, the NASA presence and Spaceport America an obvious place to visit. The Canadian aerospace industry sports about 400 companies with approximately 83,000 employees, $22.2 billion in revenues with an output ranked fifth in the world, Gray said.
That contrasts to the $76.5 billion in business the U.S. industry reported in the first half of last year alone, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Still, Canada has consistently been one of the top suppliers for U.S. companies as well as one of the top foreign markets for U.S. aerospace products and services.
“One of the sectors (Canada) is looking at too is bio mass,” said Eric Montgomery, MVEDA‘s business development manager. The work of Sapphire Energy in Las Cruces and Columbus, as well as research at New Mexico State University, in the efforts to produce fuel from algae, also attracted Gray to the area.
“(Interest) is mainly how it relates to aviation jet fuel, or aviation fuels generally,” Gray said. “There might be some upcoming synergy between what research organizations in universities and government labs are doing in the United States and what we’re doing up in Canada in the bio fuels area.”
While most look south when talk turns here to an international border, the one 1,500 or so miles north can also bring an economic bump to southern New Mexico.
“A lot of times we talk about Mexico as our major international opportunity and it certainly is, but Canada plays a role in what we do,” Montgomery said. “We’ve had conversations with a variety of different companies who get raw materials from Canada. They are shipped down to processing facilities in Mexico and then they bring them back to the United States through the Santa Teresa Port of Entry for their distribution throughout the country.”
Gray said Canadian industry does not have a presence in southern New Mexico, but that could change, as other southern border areas have attracted such investment. “Obviously, in Arizona and California there has been great interest,” he said.
Brook Stockberger can be reached at (575) 541-5457
