On Tuesday, Feb. 7, Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance guests filled the Tuscany Room at Lorenzo’s de Mesilla during the organization’s monthly luncheon. During the luncheon, Davin Lopez, MVEDA CEO and president, gave a mid-year update on MVEDA’s activities.

“The past six months has had a lot of positive momentum,” Lopez said. “In fact, we have had the fastest start ever in regard to job creation.” Lopez said in the organization’s first half of its fiscal year, MVEDA has helped create 484 economic-based jobs. “I don’t see this slowing down,” he said.

In the past 18 months, MVEDA has brought $550 million in investments to southern New Mexico as well as 3,000 construction jobs that have already started and 1,000 permanent jobs have been announced. “We only announce a job if the investment is on the ground and work is being done,” said Lopez, adding that of the 1,000 permanent jobs, 700 of them are already in place.

MVEDA judges its success based off of leads, prospects and growth of existing businesses. Since last year, Lopez said leads have been up 120 percent and prospects have increased by 500 percent.

“We talked to existing business in southern New Mexico and asked them if they were planning on hiring more people in 2012. And 55 percent of them said yes,” Lopez said. “Overall, the demand in southern New Mexico has increased because of international trade and expansion of government companies.

Again, we are seeing a lot of momentum.” Though the government is a contributing factor, Lopez said the private sector is also playing a big role. “They are the ones creating those jobs I talked about,” he said.

Some of MVEDA’s biggest projects include Union Pacific, which has subcontracted 10 businesses for its phase I of construction. Seven of those 10 companies are from New Mexico.

Another big accomplishment has been in border logistics, creating an overweight zone that allows trucks from Mexico to come into the U.S. within a few miles and drop-off loads. “I can’t say the names because I will leave that for Gov. (Susana) Martinez to announce, but two companies have committed to moving to southern New Mexico because the over­weight zone bill was passed,” said Lopez, adding that MVEDA is also focused on marketing North America to other countries because of its unique shipping advantages from Union Pacific and overweight zone.

Other areas of interest for MVEDA include unmanned aerial vehicles, Spaceport America, areas of high technology and the New Mexico State University Physical Science Laboratory as well as renewables, such as bio-mass, water conservation and recycling.

“Over the last 18 months, there has been a $1 billion investment in southern New Mexico. We want you to know things are happening here,” Lopez said.

MVEDA’s upcoming events include the Southwest Aerospace & Defense Trade Compliance Forum April 4-5 at Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces. For more information, visit www.mveda.com.

Union Pacific, which recently began construction of an all-new rail facility outside Santa Teresa, announced a $100,000 donation to Doña Ana Community College as part of Las Cruces Day in Santa Fe during a press conference Monday, Jan. 30, at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe.

The donation, which Zoe Richmond, UP director of public affairs, said was given to DACC to use as the institution sees fit. However, the underlying message at the press conference was creating jobs to sustain UP’s new intermodal facility.

“Doña Ana Community College is excited to be the recipient of such generosity from Union Pacific,” said DACC President Margie Huerta. “We plan to use the funds for scholarships and workforce development to ensure our students have the knowledge needed to qualify for the jobs this new facility will bring to the region.”

There were several key players who helped make the donation a possibility, including Sens. Cynthia Nava and Mary Kay Papen, Rep. Mary Helen Garcia and New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Designate Jon Barela as well as Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance CEO Davin Lopez and Border Industrial Association Executive Director Jerry Pacheco and Juan Massey.

“Union Pacific and Doña Ana Community College is an example of a great private-public partnership,” Lopez said. “We are proud to be a part of this.”

“Right now, we are moving 4.1 million cubic yards of dirt,” Richmond said about developments in Santa Teresa. “We hope this donation strengthens our long-term commitment to southern New Mexico.”

As another part of Union Pacific’s commitment to grow New Mexico, Richmond said seven of the 10 subcontractors working on the project are from New Mexico, which translates to 66 percent of $40 million that has been spent in the Land of Enchantment. The intermodal facility is expected to be completed by 2015, bringing in 600 permanent high-paying jobs.

“The average employee will be making $100,000 in wages and benefits,” Richmond said. “We like to say where we have rails, we have ties.” Richmond said UP chose DACC as a recipient because “DACC is a neighbor” and she is looking forward to a good working relationship with the community college.

“Thank you for your generosity,” Huerta said during the press conference. “The Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce as well as many others have given their help and been so supportive – Davin Lopez, Jerry Pacheco, Juan Massey, (Rep.) Terry McMillan.

“Donations like this will have an immediate impact on southern New Mexico. Developing the workforce in southern New Mexico is critical, and this gift of $100,000 is a huge investment and will yield positive return. “In Doña Ana County, we work with a collaborative spirit to improve the community.”

Nava, former superintendent of Gadsden Independent School District, said the example set in southern New Mexico is remarkable. “The rest of the state should listen,” Nava said. “I fought to get Union Pacific here, and I will fight to hold them accountable to their promises. This check is a great start, and it is about jobs, economic development and the opportunity for students to succeed.”

To help bring UP to southern New Mexico, Gov. Susana Martinez signed into law in 2011 a bill granting Union Pacific a locomotive fuel tax deduction that allowed the company to move forward with an investment of $400 million in the construction of a 2,200-acre rail facility west of the Santa Teresa Airport, which will include fueling facilities, crew change buildings, locomotive inspection tracks, an intermodal ramp and a switching yard.

“This new facility will strengthen our long-term commitment to deliver premium service to our customers,” said Scott Moore, vice president of public affairs for Union Pacific. “Upon completion of this new infrastructure, New Mexico will take its place among the leaders in the goods movement industry.”

A key player in getting the locomotive fuel tax deduction bill passed was Barela. When the bill was passed, Barela called it “a cornerstone to creating jobs in southern New Mexico.”

“Doña Ana County has great potential and thank you to our great corporate neighbor – UP,” Barela said. “The facility is a solid anchor project on the entire Mexico border – all 2,000 miles of it.”

A view of the Union Pacific site, looking east with the Airport, Santa Teresa, El Paso and the Franklin Mountains in the background. Photo courtesy of Suzie Azar.

Release courtesy of Union Pacific Railroad.

The passage of the Locomotive Fuel Tax Deduction HB523/SB179 by the New Mexico state legislature and signing into law by Governor Martinez was the catalyst that allowed Union Pacific Railroad to break ground on a state-of-the-art rail facility in the southern part of the state. With an overall economic impact of $500 million for the New Mexico economy, Union Pacific’s investment in the project totals more than $400 million. The facility will create 3,000 jobs during the construction phase from 2011 to 2015, and will eventually be headquarters for more than 600 permanent jobs. For the first time ever, southern New Mexico will have a key inland port, positioning the Santa Teresa area as a strategic focal point for goods movement in the southwestern U.S.

Phase 1 Construction

The Phase 1 construction launch occurred on August 8, 2011. Phase 1 will continue through 2012. Rangar-Benson received the first construction contract and will complete the mass grading in which approximately 5.6 million cubic yards of dirt will be excavated and 4.1 million cubic yards of dirt will be placed. This phase will also extend approximately two miles of Dona Aña County public water and sanitary sewer lines that will serve the facility. This work is scheduled to last approximately one year.

Seven of the ten contractors on the project are New Mexico based, totaling $40 million worth of contracts, more than 66 percent of the Phase 1 contracting.

340 people have been working on the site at any given time to date during the Phase 1 construction process with more than 50 percent of those hailing from New Mexico.

Phase 2 Construction

The second phase of construction will commence after Phase 1 and will complete the remaining portion of the yard to include all the mechanical, electrical, architectural, utilities, track and civil engineering portions of the project.

As part of the contract, there is an expectation that the general contractor will consider New Mexican subcontractors and also look for opportunities to hire qualified New Mexicans.

Global Economy Demands Efficiency

The construction of the Santa Teresa facility will permanently position Southern New Mexico as a crucial component of the historic “Sunset Route,” one of the oldest and most critical rail corridors in American history, securing New Mexico’s future as a leader in the goods movement industry. Union Pacific’s initial plans for capital spending in 2012 total $3.6 billion in support of America’s freight transportation needs. That investment will continue enhancing the safety and efficiency of Union Pacific’s 32,000-mile network. The resulting improved rail capacity benefits everyone. It allows freight rail service to grow, helping to build a cleaner environment. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, freight trains are nearly four times more fuel efficient than trucks.

About The Project
Fueling Facilities – Located along the busy “Sunset Route” between El Paso and Los Angeles, this fueling facility will enhance commerce and goods movement in the state of New Mexico.

Crew Change Buildings – This facility will eventually serve as home base for Union Pacific employees operating long-haul trains out of the area.

Intermodal Ramp – This regionally focused intermodal ramp will permit both local and regional businesses more immediate access to the efficiencies of freight trains.

With Virgin Galactic developing its spaceliner and new launch testing at Spaceport America, the first jobs created by the spaceport are coming, members of a panel said.  At the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce community update forum Tuesday, Jan. 10, at the Doña Ana County Government Center, Wayne Savage of the chamber’s spaceport committee said the forum was about making Spaceport America bring about the promise of jobs. We’re beginning to see things take place, and we’re seeing opportunities show up, and that’s what we’re here for,” Savage said.

Chad Rabon of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) said the first phase of construction on the $209 million spaceport between Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences is almost complete. To get Spaceport America ready for business with a runway, vertical launch area, several support facilities and the terminal hangar for its anchor tenant Virgin Galactic. NMSA is now starting the spaceport’s second construction phase, which Rabon said includes paving the southern road leading to the complex. It was recently announced that the surfacing of the already wide and well-grated county road won’t require time-consuming environmental studies.

Spaceport America operations are located the Lewis Cain Ranch and is surrounded by similar desert range ranches 45 miles north of Las Cruces.

The next construction phase includes adding more pads and support facilities to the spaceport’s vertical area, Robin said. NMSA is currently accepting bids on contracts to provide information technology and space operations support.

Already, activity at NMSU is picking up for research and development of new systems, such as reusable rocket boosters, with Lockheed Martin winning an Air Force contract to test its design for such a system at Spaceport America.

NMSA’s Aaron Prescott said Armadillo Aerospace has tested more traditional rocket prototypes with three launches since May. Also, Boeing will test a helicopter avionics system at the spaceport, he said. The new construction will provide a second pad for vertical launches and rollback shelter for these kinds of tests, Prescott said. The current Spaceport America vertical launch facility was developed for UP Aerospace that has been launching sounding rockets since 2006 to send a variety of small payloads into suborbital space.

With the State Legislature about to start its new session, Prescott mentioned spaceport supporters are pushing for refining the 2010 law that protects companies such as Virgin Galactic from lawsuits as something goes wrong with a flight carrying passengers. The informed consent legislation didn’t extend those protections to suppliers of the spaceship companies, but competing states have passed protections granting protections to support industries.  “It doesn’t help us very much to protect the operator, but not the supplier,” Prescott said. “This is key for Spaceport America to remain competitive with other states.”

Mark Butler of Virgin Galactic, who moved from England to New Mexico, said the company is making progress on the safety and flight testing of its prototype of the kind of thrilling but- upscale suborbital flights it plans to give passengers for $200,000 a ride.  The craft that will carry the six-passenger spaceship to 50,000 feet for midair launches, the White Knight 2, has completed about 80 flights reaching important altitude and duration goals, Butler said.

Testing has begun with Spaceship 2 more than 15 “captive carry” flights and 16 release and- glide tests, Butler said. The hybrid engine – the world’s largest such engines – is being tested, he said, and the company won’t start taking passengers into space until the system performs safely, he said.  “We are now pushing the envelope on that system,” Butler said. “Yes, this is rocket science, so it takes a while. … This kind of thing does take a long time, and this is the first time this is being done so we are going to take the time to do it right.”

Butler reported that five Virgin Galactic staff members are now using office space in Las Cruces.  Once the flights begin on a regular basis, Butler said Virgin is going to need human resources and financial people, all the normal behind-the-scenes people. Also, there will be people hired to provide a variety of customer services, he said.  The space business goes beyond needing engineers and other technical staff, but also hospitality and other support staff, Butler said. Virgin does intend to buy local supplies as much as possible, he said.

“It’s important for us to get our supply chain to New Mexico,” Butler said.  With $60 million in deposits and more than 500 signed up as future astronauts, Virgin has “a hugely busy year ahead of us,” he said. To work for Virgin, Butler recommended patience and persistence.

Meanwhile, Fiore Industries won the contract for providing protective services to the spaceport, including security, EMS, fire protection and hazardous materials control. Fiore’s Tim Zagorski said the company is hiring people with local experience and subcontracted with local entities such Sierra Vista Hospital and the Las Cruces-based Zia Engineering “We strongly believe in local economic development,” he said “ We even rent power generators from a local company and buy fuel locally.”

Fiore will be looking to buy fire equipment, EMS vehicles and equipment in the near future, he said, and the company is seeking applicants for security guards, firefighters and EMTs. The company will need 15 security guards and 15 firefighters/EMTs, along with some office and compliance support, he said.

Also at the forum was Paul Schmidt of EASI, general services contractor, that will be running spaceport functions, such as water and wastewater, fuel depot operations, electrical systems, roads and grounds upkeep, runway maintenance, generator maintenance and repair, janitorial services, pest control and even HazMat clean-up and removal.

By Marvin Tessneer

Sapphire Energy is constructing an integrated algal bio-refinery (IABR) to produce green crude oil on a site near Columbus, N.M., in Luna County, the first commercial facility in the country, according to a company newsletter. Sapphire, which is headquartered in San Diego, also operates a 22-acre test and development facility in Las Cruces’ West Mesa Industrial Park.

 Sapphire has scheduled a multi-year project to produce green crude. The first production phase will start this summer. By 2014, the company expects the Columbus IABR facility to produce 100 barrels, or 1 million gallons of fuel a year, according to Sapphire.

The Columbus IABR facility is expected to provide 700 jobs during construction and 30 permanent jobs for continued operations. Sapphire has designed raceway ponds at Columbus to grow algae that will cover 100 to 300 acres. In the energy business, the operation is termed “farming under water.”

Government agencies believe Sapphire is on the right track to grow and harvest algae and produce green crude. The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded the company a $50million grant and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has guaranteed a $54.5million loan, according to Sapphire.

Most people consider green mass seen on ponds “green gunk.” But Sapphire is developing that green gunk, or algae, into a renewable and sustainable transportation fuel that will help reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign petroleum.

“All of us on the research and development side are rooting for Sapphire to have tremendous success at its commercial demonstration facility at Columbus,” said Pete Lammers, New Mexico State University biochemistry professor.

Algae are a micro-organism that combines sunlight and carbon dioxide from the air as sources of energy to produce green crude oil. Scientists report algae can produce 10 times or more energy per acre than other bio-fuels crops. Algae don’t compete with food crops. Land at the Columbus site is marginal for crops, and the water is brackish and not suitable for irrigation.

The algal green crude is termed “drop-in” fuel in the industry. The Sapphire newsletter reported, “Sapphire Energy has cultivated algae that create renewable crude oil that can be processed in existing refineries into jet fuel, diesel and gasoline. These drop-in replacement fuels are molecularly identical to petroleum-based fuels and are compatible with existing infrastructure and engines.”

By Samantha Roberts

As 2011 comes to a close, businesses are rushing to make end-of-the-year deadlines, including renewable energy certificates (REC) for solar that will change in 2012.

F&A Dairy Products will be expanding its solar systems, adding four 100kilowatt units to the existing unit the dairy installed in May. “The four additional units will fuel different parts of the complex and will be located next to the existing unit,” said Bob Snyder, vice president of New Mexico operations for F&A Dairy. Snyder said the dairy decided to add the additional solar now, so it could take advantage of incentives that will expire in 2011.

“RECs are at a peak right now,” said Mellow Honek, a managing member of Sunspot Solar Energy Systems, which installed the panels at the dairy. “They are great right now, but they will still be good next year. The incentives are not going away, but will be changing. “I would definitely recommend other people (add solar). It’s a step in the right direction toward energy independence. And we have an abundance of sunshine here.”

“We thought if we were going to do it, it better be this year,” Snyder said. “The panels significantly offset the energy we use. “Solar does create enough energy to make a difference.”

Though the dairy uses too much energy to be entirely generated by solar, Snyder said the panels will help “take out some of the peaks.” “This is just to offset costs,” he said. “A dairy is a big place, and we use a lot of utilities to process the milk into cheese.”

Honek said the amount of solar the dairy will have after construction on the additional panels is completed in March 2012 will be equivalent to 100 solar systems on mid-sizes houses. “To my knowledge, the one 100-kilowatt unit the dairy has now is the largest commercial system on a privately owned building in New Mexico,” Honek said. “The system after everything is completed will be five times that size.”

Honek said installing all of the panels will take about 1,300 man hours. “The dairy has been a great customer, and they are a perfect example of a company that is making an investment in a major resource we have here,” Honek said. “Powering a portion of their plant using solar shows what is possible for businesses to do to reduce long-term energy costs.”

The dairy doubled in size a little more than one year ago and now employs about 140 people. “We are constantly making changes,” Snyder said. “Our goal is to get both plants running to full capacity.”

F&A Dairy distributes its products to Toucan Market and other distributors. Locally, Dion’s Pizza is a purchaser of F&A Dairy products.

The Future of Dairy in New Mexico

F&A Dairy is one example of growth the dairy industry in New Mexico has seen over the past few years. “Southern New Mexico is a major player in the dairy market,” said Jeff Witte, director/ secretary for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA).

“Southern New Mexico dairies have an abundant milk supply,” Snyder said. “Farmers are leaving California and coming to New Mexico and the Texas panhandle.”

Milk production in New Mexico averages more than 600 million pounds per month, according to the NMDA. New Mexico currently has 173 dairy farms, with a large number of them in eastern New Mexico. There are 20 processing plants in the state.

“Dairy in New Mexico saw growth in the eastern portion of the state from 2008 to ’09,” said Robert Hagevoort, extension dairy specialist with New Mexico State University. Hagevoort said cheese plants in Clovis, N.M., and Dalhart, Texas, spurred this growth. “There are benefits in New Mexico for the dairy industry,” Hagevoort said. “There is a lot of agriculture in New Mexico, so farms can grow the feed that dairies need, and they, in turn, can supply the farms with fertilizer. “There is a natural free flow from each one.”

Hagevoort said dairies also use marginal farmland so they don’t compete with other crops. However, dairies are struggling with drought conditions, high feed costs and corn prices that are increased from ethanol demands. “Depending on world economy, the future of dairy in New Mexico is still great,” he said. “It all depends on larger economic factors beyond our control. Linking energy to food policies doesn’t make any sense.”

By Todd G. Dickson

Technology is increasingly more common in the battlefield while the future of government funding is becoming more unknown, said White Sands Missile Range’s new Commander Col. John Ferrari.

Speaking at the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce annual military update luncheon Thursday, Dec. 15, Ferrari said the range’s people are working to keep the range a key player in conducting tests of the new technology while becoming a more efficient military installation.

Ferrari, who became the range’s commander Aug. 18, said it’s all the skilled and creative people who will be making the range successful in meeting the new objectives and roles. He also acknowledged the strong support the range gets from the local population. “In the end, it’s all about people,” Ferrari said. “It’s the people of New Mexico and the people of this community that allow us to complete our national security mission.”

Along with WSMR, neighboring Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo and Fort Bliss in El Paso are seeing their missions change and expand. “We’re going to change, because we have to change, because the world around us is changing, too,” he said. High-tech testing will continue to be WSMR’s main mission, he said, and so the base as an organization is looking for ways it can continue to offer value and find new funding. At its current level of operations, he said, WSMR’s contribution to the local economy is estimated to be worth about $1.8 million a day.

NewTec, a company that provides technical support to the range, alone employs about 520 people, said Charles Garcia, company president and CEO. Personnel at WSMR also provide important analysis for the government, especially in the area of countering attacks and protecting systems and weapons from the effects of attacks, he said. That work includes testing building construction and materials to be able to withstand an explosion or finding new methods to detect bombs, he said.

The base has a strong medical community for the more than 900 employees, Ferrari said, who are not only there for the soldiers and the families stationed at the base, but they play a key role in occupational safety along with caring for those who may get injured in testing activities. He said the medical personnel also provide services to local veterans. The range is home to the Navy’s only commissioned naval vessel on land for testing systems before they actually go to sea, he said.

One of the most recent and significant changes for the base has been the addition of the 2nd Engineers Battalion, most of whom have just come back from Afghanistan. Members of the battalion have the dangerous job in war to find and disable or contain improvised explosive devices. Ferrari remarked that most of the battalion is made up of young soldiers who volunteered for the service knowing they would certainly go to war and perform a hazardous job. They do that dangerous work because they trust the technology and engineering, he said.

“We’re creating those systems that they’re entrusting their lives with,” Ferrari said The main base covers 3,200 square miles of land, but “that’s not even enough to do what we do” he said, so a few times a year, the range must ask surrounding ranchers for their help when the testing requires 5,000 square miles. “We’re even doing tests up in Cloudcroft,” Ferrari said. “That’s why we appreciate the graciousness of the people of New Mexico.”

Where much of the past testing has been on missile systems, much of the future testing will be on the reliability of electronic technology in the field and protecting them from being jammed or disabled, Ferrari said. That also includes communications, which is critical to systems such as GPS, he said.

WSMR has a tradition of excellence it must maintain as it adjusts to the changing “fiscal environment,” he said. “We have to protect that brand image,” Ferrari said “We do things here that can’t be done anyplace else, anywhere.”

Besides improving general efficiency, WSMR is training existing employees to be less specialized, he said. The challenge, he said, is to break the military paradigm of caring too much about organizational structure and focusing on accomplishing the mission with the workforce on-hand. That makes the quality of local education even more critical, he said. “We’ll get through this difficult financial environment together, because we will not get through this separate from each other,” Ferrari said.

By Brook Stockberger/Sun-News Business Editor

LAS CRUCES – “Las Cruces, manufacturing hub!”

Well, southern New Mexico’s largest city might not gain that moniker anytime soon, but the reality of an operating Spaceport America north of town and the start of construction on a $400 million Union Pacific Railroad facility south of town, has spurred increased interest in Las Cruces among manufacturing and logistics companies.

According to a recent quarterly report, the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance says that 65 percent of all new leads are in the manufacturing sector.

“This is a great area to be growing in because manufacturing/logistics generally involves paying local people and local suppliers to make things that people outside the region pay for,” said Christine Logan, economic development administrator for the city of Las Cruces.

L&M Radiator and Alaska Structures both moved into town and created manufacturing jobs. That was welcome news that came on the heels of a stretch last decade in which Las Cruces lost Parkview Metals, Rea Wire Magnet Wire and manufacturing jobs with Taylor Precision Products. “Both of these companies moved from El Paso to Las Cruces,” Logan said. “A big factor was that we had facilities here that they could move into and expand their operations. A recurring theme in the city’s economic development efforts has been the need for existing industrial space.”

Minnesota-based L&M had a facility in El Paso, but outgrew that location and turned its eyes north across the state border. “Our business has seen a tremendous amount of growth over the last year,” L&M Radiator President Dan Chisholm said when the company decided to move. L&M, which makes cooling systems for heavy machinery, is leasing about 52,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space on South Valley Drive.

In addition, TE Connectivity, an electronics component manufacturer, will relocate 100 jobs to its Santa Teresa plant from El Paso. “In the next three years, we’re hoping those 100 jobs grow to 250,” said Jerry Pacheco, vice president of the Border Industrial Association.

According to the city’s most recent economic development report, the manufacturing business category makes up just 1 percent of the businesses and 4 percent of the jobs.

Still, Davin Lopez, president and CEO with MVEDA, said that the area is increasingly showing up on companies’ radar. MVEDA works to bring companies to Doña Ana County and to help those already here expand. “We continue to see manufacturing leads increase as a percentage of total leads developed,” Lopez said. “This category also includes logistics companies. Whereas this category accounted for approximately 39 percent of all leads in the last fiscal year, we have seen it grow to 65 percent of in the first quarter of this year.”

Both Logan and Lopez said that the Union Pacific facility in Santa Teresa plays a major role. “Over the past 12 to 18 months, we have received greater interest from manufacturing and logistics firms due to the Union Pacific announcement,” Lopez said. “A $400-million-plus investment catches attention both regionally and nationally.

“It has enabled us to not only showcase opportunities in and around the Santa Teresa region but also to bring greater attention to the Las Cruces region where we happened to have existing facility space that fits the needs of some of these companies,” he said.

“We are getting more attention lately because, No. 1, we had vacant facilities to accommodate companies,” Logan said. “No. 2, there is pent-up demand for manufacturing space since no one wanted to expand or relocate in the worst of the economy and, No. 3, the proximity to the Union Pacific intermodal facility makes this a great place to locate a manufacturing facility.”

Brook Stockberger can be reached at (575) 541-5457

NRG at Santa Teresa

NRG Energy, through its wholly owned subsidiary NRG Solar, completed construction recently on the Roadrunner Solar Generating Facility, which is one of the first large-scale solar projects built in New Mexico.  The Roadrunner Solar Generating Facility is located on 210 acres near the Santa Teresa Port of Entry. Its 340,000 photovoltaic solar panels can produce up to 20 megawatts of electricity, which is enough power to supply 6,600 homes in El Paso Electric’s system. (Related story)

NextEra at Hatch

NextEra Energy Resources, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, recently completed one of the largest concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) systems in North America on 39 acres in the Hatch Industrial Park, 7 miles west of the Village of Hatch. The 5-megawatt (MW) system, with 81 solar tracking concentrator panels, was funded by Village of Hatch Industrial Revenue Bonds. The Village put an emphasis on New Mexico jobs for New Mexicans. (Related story)

SunEdison at Las Cruces

SunEdison, one of the largest solar energy providers in North America, has begun construction of the solar power generation facility at the City of Las Cruces West Mesa Industrial Park.  The 12MW solar power project is expected to require 230 construction jobs for a 6-9 month period.

By Diana M. Alba

UPHAM, N.M. – Bottle of champagne in hand, British billionaire and Virgin Group founder Richard Branson on Monday christened Spaceport America’s diamond feature – a $32.5 million terminal-hangar that one day will house the vehicles belonging to his fledgling spaceline – by rappelling off the building’s face, accompanied by a troupe of aerial dancers. It was Branson’s first visit to the under-construction, southern Sierra County spaceport since October of last year, when state officials formally dedicated a 10,000-foot runway.

Appearing with Branson for the first time was Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, who took office at the start of the year. U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., and astronaut Buzz Aldrin, too, were among a crowd of about 720 dignitaries, spaceflight gurus and future suborbital-space tourists who attended the ceremony.

Martinez – who sparked concern among spaceport supporters at the start of her tenure because of her abrupt personnel changes – said the spaceport was at the start of the “second space age” and touted the 550 permanent jobs it will create. She said the number that could grow to 2,000. “It’s about jobs and helping people meet new challenges and fulfill dreams,” she said.

Branson dubbed the three-story, sting ray-shaped structure the “Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space,” a name previously OK’d by state spaceport officials.

Prior to the rappelling act, Branson and spaceport officials lauded the terminal-hangar building for its design.  Branson said it was notable not only for its impending use as a home to spacecraft but also its environmental friendliness. He described it as “one of the most beautiful, striking buildings you’ve ever seen.” “It’s a 21st century building for a 21st century business,” he said.

Several speakers highlighted an involvement of space researchers with Virgin Galactic flights, a growing market.

Construction of the spaceport’s first phase, including the terminal-hangar, runway and operations building, is about 93 percent done, officials have said. A second phase, which includes constructing visitors’ centers and paving a southern road to the remote site, is underway.

Making its second visit to the spaceport was the two-vehicle system, under development in Mojave, California that will launch from Spaceport America, possibly in 2013.

Future astronauts gather

Present Monday were more than 150 of the future astronauts – the largest gathering of future astronauts in history, said George Whitesides, president and CEO of Virgin Galactic.

Master pastry chef Eric Lanlard of the United Kingdom, the 117th spaceflight customer, expects to be aboard the 30th flight, once operations begin. He bought a ticket, he said, because of the historic nature of the venture. The visit was his first to the spaceport, though he’d previously seen the vehicles in Mojave, Calif. He described the hangar building as “impressive.” “This is where it’s all going to happen,” he said.

Construction on the terminal-hangar should be done in late November, nearly a year behind schedule, spaceport officials have said. State spaceport authority member David Buchholtz said the delayed schedule would be more concerning if Virgin Galactic already had finished its vehicle development, which it hasn’t. He said he’s pleased with progress made in the last month. “Ultimately our major job in the near- to mid-term is to make sure the construction is finished,” he said.

WhiteKnightTwo demo

The event started Monday morning with a take-off, demonstration and landing of WhiteKnightTwo, the Virgin Galactic aircraft that will carry SpaceShipTwo aloft for a mid-air launch, where it will rocket tourists to suborbital heights. In all, about 460 people to date have booked spaceflight seats, plunking down deposits totaling $58 million, Virgin Galactic officials said.

Spaceport officials have said they expect Spaceport America to boost tourism across southern New Mexico.

Virgin Galactic ticketholder Craig Curran of Rochester, N.Y., who’s also one of 65 space travel agents certified by the spaceline, said while other spaceport proposals exist, Spaceport America is on par to become the first operational commercial spaceflight facility in the world and that fact in itself will attract visitors. “As far New Mexico goes and Las Cruces, there’s no question: ‘This is the birthplace of human space travel – the average person, not just a professional astronaut or someone in the military,” he said.

Opponents of the spaceport contend it’s a waste of taxpayer money and that’s it’s subsidizing trips for the wealthy to space.

Not all in support

Invited guests only attended the event, hosted by Virgin Galactic. But at the gates of the spaceport, a handful of protesters, including one with a megaphone, caught the attention of tour buses arriving at the site. Some expressed frustration at the draining of at least one local family’s ground well, a consequence of pumping for spaceport construction. One sign read: “Occupy Spaceport.” Sierra County Sheriff Joe Baca said the protesters caused no problems.

Branson also unveiled the terminal-hangar’s new address: No. 1 Half Moon Street. The company has a noted house in London on Half Moon Street, he said.

To cap the day, six aerial dancers from the group, Project Bandaloop, tied off lines from the terminal-hangar’s second story, onto the face of a 250-foot long pane of windows that make up the building’s eastern face. Part way into their performance, Branson rappelled down and performed in the show.

Pearce said the project is not only an economic engine, but it’s also at the forefront of a new venture for humanity. “We have here a renewal of the human spirit that I think is going to infect the world,” he said.

Martinez told Branson she’s considering a new possibility. “I may have to add it to my bucket list – to fly into space,” she said.