Posts Tagged ‘Colorado’

The New Mexico Economic Development Partnership Board Names Steve Vierck as President/CEO of the New Mexico Partnership

Steve Vierck

Release courtesy of the New Mexico Economic Development Department

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Economic Development Partnership (NMEDP) board named Steve Vierck, CEcD, as president and CEO of the New Mexico Partnership during Friday’s NMEDP board meeting. Vierck is a long-time economic development professional who has a strong record of leading and consulting several economic development organizations both in New Mexico and nationally.  In this position, Vierck will be responsible for leading the New Mexico Partnership in its efforts to market New Mexico to companies, business decision makers and site selectors as a premier location to do business.

“Mr. Vierck brings his sterling reputation and tireless work ethic back to New Mexico, I am very much looking forward to working with him and the Partnership staff in recruiting companies to the state,” said Jon Barela, cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Economic Development Department. “He knows New Mexico and the business development community very well and will be able to position and market the state successfully to companies.”

Vierck is currently the president of the economic development division at Angelou Economics in Austin, TX, one of the largest economic development and site selection consulting firms in the U.S. There, he provides oversight and direct involvement on economic development strategies, industry targeting, marketing plans, workforce assessment and implementation support and conducts competitive assessments of economic development programs for states, regions, and communities throughout the U.S. and abroad including benchmarking of results and approaches for clients including Colorado Springs, Colorado; Greater Phoenix Economic Council; Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Wisconsin Department of Commerce.

Prior to that, he successfully led the recruitment and expansion of 49 companies as president/CEO of the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance generating 3,000 jobs and $147 million in capital investment in southern New Mexico.

Chairman of the NMEDP Board and president of First New Mexico Bank, Sean Ormand stated that he had the opportunity to witness Steve Vierck at work honing and shaping successful economic development efforts for communities throughout southern New Mexico and that Vierck “will bring real value to the table and be a great asset to the New Mexico Partnership, a vital public/private economic development effort”

Vierck’s past work experience includes: vice president of economic development for the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, senior vice president of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, executive director of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce and national marketing director of the Arizona Department of Commerce.

Vierck earned his master’s degree in geography with a specialization in economic geography and bachelor’s degree in business administration/regional development from the University of Arizona. He received the “William W. Lampkin Award for Long Term Excellence in Economic Development” and “Developer of the Year” awards in both New Mexico and Arizona. He earned his certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation in 1991 and has served on many economic and workforce development boards.

For more information on the New Mexico Partnership, visit www.nmpartnership.com.

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Sun-News

UPHAM, N.M. – UP Aerospace Inc., a commercial space launch services company based in Denver, Colo., has announced plans to launch up to nine new missions from Spaceport America in 2012 and 2013. The $209 million, taxpayer-funded spaceport is nearing completion in Upham, N.M., in southeastern Sierra County, just north of Dona Ana County.

With new launch contracts from NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD), UP Aerospace will double the number of missions it has flown from Spaceport America since 2006, according to company officials.

NASA’s Office of Chief Technologist Launch Opportunities Program awarded the company a contract to integrate technology payloads and launch them into space on up to eight flights using UP Aerospace’s SpaceLoft rocket. The contract reserves two launches with options on purchasing up to six additional flights in 2012 and 2013, according to a news release.

The first launch for NASA is still in the planning phase, but is expected in the first quarter of 2012. The second contract was issued by the DoD’s Operationally Responsive Space Office, and will be a sub-orbital flight also planned for the first quarter of 2012.

“We have a great relationship with Spaceport America,” said UP Aerospace President Jerry Larson. “We are excited to see business ramping up for our SpaceLoft launch vehicles, and look forward to meeting the needs of our customers.”

UP Aerospace has provided launch services for the DoD previously, although this will be the company’s first fully dedicated launch for the DoD. UP Aerospace has teamed with Schafer Corporation of Albuquerque to provide comprehensive launch and payload integration services for the NASA launches.

“Spaceport America has an established history with UP Aerospace, and we congratulate this forward-thinking company on its new launch contracts with NASA and the Department of Defense,” said New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) Executive Director Christine Anderson.

Spaceport America has been providing commercial launch services since 2006. Phase one of the construction for the spaceport is expected to be complete in late 2011. Phase two of the construction and pre-operations activities will follow, including the development of a visitor center for students, tourists and space launch customers.

In addition to UP Aerospace and Virgin Galactic, spaceport officials have been working with other space leaders like Armadillo Aerospace, as well as firms like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and MOOG-FTS to develop commercial spaceflight at the new facility.

Virgin Galactic, the anchor-tenant company for the spaceport, earlier announced it was awarded a contract by NASA to carry researchers and their payloads to suborbital space.

•For more information on UP Aerospace, visit www.upaerospace.us.com

•For more information, visit www.spaceportamerica.com

•For information on public tours of Spaceport America, visit www.ftstours.com

Release courtesy of Spaceport America

Las Cruces, NM – Spaceport America and the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) congratulate Dr. Pat Hynes and the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium at New Mexico State University (NMSU) for being selected as the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation (COE-CST). Winning the nationwide competition to host the COE-CST now enables NMSU to serve as the hub of a minimum $5 million, five-year research coalition addressing key challenges in the development of the commercial space industry.

“It’s a great day not only for education in the state of New Mexico, but also for the emerging commercial space industry and the role that Spaceport America will have in its continuing growth,” said Spaceport America Executive Director Rick Homans. “This COE-CST reaffirms and cements New Mexico’s leadership in the vanguard of commercial space.” Homans said the Center would likely facilitate development of launch vehicle systems, technologies and operations research for Spaceport America. “We commend Dr. Pat Hynes and her team, and are excited to work with her innovative consortium from New Mexico, Florida, Texas, Colorado and California, as well as companies like Virgin Galactic, SpaceX and other members of the NMSU COE-CST industry advisory board.”

In addition, NMSA Chairman of the Board Ben Woods said, “Today’s announcement means the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium at NMSU will be at the center of development for industry enabling technologies such as space launch operations and traffic management, space commerce and commercial human spaceflight for launch facilities like Spaceport America here in New Mexico.”

More information on the COE-CST announcement can be found on the FAA website: http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=11737.

Spaceport America has been providing commercial launch services since 2006. The spaceport is the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport and is now undergoing construction near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. This state-of-the-art launch facility is expected to become fully operational in 2011. Officials at Spaceport America have been working closely with leading aerospace firms such as Virgin Galactic, Lockheed Martin, Moog-FTS, and UP Aerospace to develop commercial spaceflight at the new facility. The economic impact of launches, tourism and new construction at the Spaceport is already delivering on its promise to the people of New Mexico.

Private sector funding from the businesses and organizations throughout the New Mexico Borderplex is a mainstay of MVEDA’s ability to continue in its mission of creating new employment opportunities for area residents. MVEDA is proud to announce four new Partners for the second quarter:  Action Equipment Rental; Gerald A. Martin, LTD; Ibarbo Consulting Group, LLC; and Sunland Nursery Company.

Action Equipment Rental is the largest independently-owned New Mexico rental equipment supplier. Joseph Muench and his management team have over 100 combined years of equipment rental experience.  Action Equipment Rental has a huge selection of the finest brand name rental equipment in their heavy equipment, construction machinery, power tools, and party and event equipment inventory.

Gerald A. Martin, LTD provides Owner’s Representative Program Management, Project Management, and Construction Management Services for a wide range of clientele that includes public and private agencies and organizations. Under the leadership of company President Fred Gorenz, Gerald Martin Construction is managing the construction locally of Spaceport America and the new Las Cruces high school.

Ibarbo Consulting Group, LLC is a minority-owned Limited Liability Company focused on improving people’s quality of life through business development and job creation.  President Peter R. Ibarbo formed the group to provide specialized business support services and business outreach. Associate members of the group include Tara Lucero and Armando Martinez.

Sunland Nursery Company provides all types of plants acclimated for the arid southwest and inter-mountain regions.  Their trade area includes Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and Utah. They are located 5.5 miles south of Las Cruces, NM off Highway 478 at 620 W. Richardson Road. Lance Harkey is the general manager.

MVEDA’s Partners are linked from MVEDA’s website and are listed in the on-line Business Resource Guide.