Posts Tagged ‘Dona Ana Community College’

Release courtesy of the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces

Las Cruces, N.M. – Local bank representatives and business counselors will join the Hispano Chamber of Commerce and the City of Las Cruces to distribute information and answer questions from the public during the inaugural Small Business Lending Fair, set for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 5, at the Las Cruces Convention Center.

The first event of its type and size in Las Cruces, the Small Business Lending fair is a new annual event organized by the Hispano Chamber targeted at local economic development by facilitating the start-up and expansion of small businesses in our community.

“Our members, as well as people in the community, have voiced their need for this type of event in Las Cruces,” said Peter Ibarbo, chair of the Hispano Chamber’s Economic Development Committee and co-organizer of the event. “By bringing all of the financial institutions together, as well as micro-lenders and government loan programs, Hispano Chamber members and members of the public will benefit from a ‘one-stop-shop’ if they’re looking to start a new business or grow their existing business.”

Participants invited to the Small Business Lending Fair include Bank of the West, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citizens Bank of Las Cruces, Bank of the Rio Grande, BANK’34, Century Bank, First New Mexico Bank, White Sands Federal Credit Union, FirstLight Federal Credit Union, OneSource Federal Credit Union, Bank of the Southwest, First American Bank, Western Heritage Bank, Pioneer Bank, First Community Bank and BBVA Compass.

“Why spend a week or more researching competing loan products when you can get the information all at once?” Ibarbo said. “Local bank representatives will be on hand to answer questions, set up future meetings and distribute information regarding their commercial loan products.”

The Small Business Lending Fair will be organized in an event similar to a job fair – with more than 40 exhibitors and vendors presenting information in a booth-type format.

In addition to traditional commercial lenders, the Hispano Chamber has invited ACCION New Mexico, The Loan Fund and WESST Corp. to provide information regarding their respective organization’s micro-loans. Micro-loans can be used by those who lack the capital, collateral or financial background to start a small business. Lenders such as ACCION and the Loan Fund have an established micro-loan clientele in southern New Mexico, including Las Cruces.

“Micro-lending is growing in popularity across the United States, and is a viable alternative to larger commercial lending,” Ibarbo said. “Anyone looking for more information on micro-loans should attend the Small Business Lending Fair.”

An injection of public or private capital is not the only way to grow an existing business. For current business owners and administrators who are looking to grow their clientele base without a loan, the Small Business Lending Fair will be host to business-support organizations such as the Hispano Chamber, Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, Green Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Las Cruces Partnership, Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance and the Sierra County Economic Development Organization. Business-referral organizations have also been invited, such as Masterminds de Las Cruces, Success … Inc.!, Synergy Business Network and Buzztown.

“It is part of the Hispano Chamber’s mission to educate its member and the public at large about all of the opportunities available to grow their business,” Ibarbo said.  “Often, business-support and business-referral organizations can provide that needed marketing boost.”

The Hispano Chamber has also partnered with the Office of U.S. Sen. Tom Udall to bring government lending partners to the Small Business Lending Fair. Government organizations invited to participate in the fair include the Small Business Administration, USDA Rural Development, Economic Development Administration, Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Labor.

Specialized SBA lender Enchantment Land Certified Development Corp. will also be on hand to distribute information and answer questions about SBA-backed loans.

Completing the “one-stop” shop at the Small Business Lending Fair will be the Dona Ana Community College Small Business Development Center (SBDC), PTAP, SCORE and WESST Corp., who will provide free business counseling at the event.

In addition to free counseling, the SBDC will also host three “How to Start a Business” workshops during the half-day event. Entrepreneurs interested in learning the initial steps on how to start a new business are highly encouraged to attend the Small Business Lending Fair.

The Small Business Lending Fair is free and open to the public. Residents from Las Cruces’ neighboring communities are also invited to attend.

For more information about the Small Business Lending Fair, call the Hispano Chamber at 575-532-9255.

About the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces:

The Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces, through its diverse membership, advocates for business growth in the community and promotes Las Cruces and Hispanic business owners through economic development, education, community service, and cultural awareness. The Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces was initiated in 1992 as the Hispano Chamber of Doña Ana County and in 1994 incorporated as The Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces. The original founders consisted of a group of businesspersons interested in developing a support organization for small and Hispanic businesses.

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

By Samantha Roberts

Since Gov. Susana Martinez signed a bill to lower taxes on diesel fuel, everyone in southern New Mexico is talking about Union Pacific (UP) coming to Santa Teresa, but there is a lot more happening on the border that people don’t know about.

On Thursday, June 16, more than 700 people gathered at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino for the annual NAFTA Institute/Supplier Meet the Buyer Conference.  With two floors full of business-to business networking, speakers and economic leaders, there was never a dull moment at the conference.

“This event creates the opportunity for companies to make transactions and get introduced to new businesses,” said Fred Shepherd, Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance business development manager. “Companies can come and display their products and also hear an overview of business opportunities.”

First-time attendee Reinhard Peter, CEO of Solarzentrum North America, said he was pleased with the success of the event.  “There are so many people here,” he said. “Since cost is always an issue, events such as this one help a large number of people get together to network.”

Reinhard, who sells hybrid solar panels that produce hot water and useable electricity, said his focus on the environment got him into the business.  “I want to preserve the environment for our kids,” Reinhard said. “We are in one of the sunniest cities of the world, no? We have so much sunshine, and it’s free. We are supplying a product that people use daily, and free is good, no?”

In addition to all of the vendors, UP was also there, representing its new facility in Santa Teresa and answering questions to curious participants.

Zoe Gisela Richmond, UP public affairs director, said UP representatives were also pleased with the turnout and excited about educating people on their upcoming facility. “We are hoping UP coming to the area is the catalyst for more opportunities in southern New Mexico and that it will attract more companies to the area,” she said. “We are shooting for an early August date for the groundbreaking of the facility.”

Though the main goal of the event was to make relationships and establish connections, some companies were able to make more use of their time.

For Erlinda Portillo, coordinator of donor services and special events at Dona Ana Community College, and Ken Tellez, manager of planning and development at DACC, the community college struck manufacturer gold at the event.  Portillo said Maria Elena Vargas, a business owner in Mexico, has agreed to donate manufacturing equipment to DACC.

“We made the connection through Jerry Pacheco,” Tellez said. “We talked a little before, but this event allowed us to finalize the deal and discuss transportation of the equipment from Juarez to Las Cruces.”

The conference also hosted a bevy of guest speakers, including New Mexico Secretary of Economic Development Jon Barela, who gave an overview of Martinez’s administration in regard to border and economic development objectives.

“I am proud to announce several hundred new jobs in Dona Ana County,” Barela said. “We have recently passed a board of jobs package that includes the locomotive fuel tax reduction. This will allow New Mexico to be more competitive with Texas and has helped bring Union Pacific to the state.  “To me, job creation is a priority in southern New Mexico, and overall I want to help provide a better regulative climate, reducing the cost of compliance for businesses without sacrificing the health, welfare or beauty of New Mexico to do business.”

Other guest speakers included Bob Queen, from the United States Department of Commerce; Jose Contreras, from Border Security Consultants; and Brent Eastwood from the International Trade Office from the State of New Mexico. Richmond also gave an update about UP, an addition that plant manager Alex Sierra is very excited about.

“The new railroad lines are going to run through my ‘backyard.’ The new rail will cut one month off travel time for me,” said Sierra, who runs a car seat manufacturing plant in Santa Teresa. “We are in the ‘belt buckle’ of the Americas and it only makes sense to grow this area.”  Sierra said he has been coming to the event since its inception. “This is a great time for me to make 50 to 60 phone calls in one day,” he said. “It is well worth the $100.”

Also attending the event were employees from the New Mexico Economic Department ready to connect business owners and guests of the event with whoever they were looking to talk to.  “We have business-to-business networking going on over here,” said Steven Montano, senior advisor of the New Mexico Economic Development division, in regards to dozens of tables filled with business men and women making conversations in both English and Spanish. “People here are really making deals, and although they may not be creating jobs today, they are creating jobs down the road, and that is very important for New Mexicans. “This event really has a history of success, and I think that is because there is such an emphasis on the economy.”

Though times may still be tough in America, forward-thinking people in southern New Mexico and the surrounding area are expanding their horizons and looking to change the state of the economy one job at a time.

L&M Radiator photo courtesy of Fred Shepherd

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

By Samantha Roberts

The Mesilla Valley of Economic Development Alliance (MVEDA) has been busy this month with meetings, events and behind-the scenes work. The organization, which was incorporated in 1994, is “a public/private sector economic development partnership that serves Dona Ana County,” according to its mission. MVEDA partners with entities in southern New Mexico, such as the City of Las Cruces, Dona Ana County, New Mexico State University, Dona Ana Community College, the Las Cruces Public Schools, the Village of Hatch and the New Mexico Economic Development Department.

“We have begun a business connection series,” said Fred Shepherd, MVEDA business development manager. “We are trying to put together events that address what companies want to see and hear about.”

In addition to monthly business luncheons, MVEDA has other tools in its toolbox, such as business resource guides, assistance programs, business start-up help, educational opportunities and business consultations.

Newest to its resources, MVEDA offered a “commuter package” in collaboration with the City of Las Cruces to L&M Radiator, a worldwide manufacturer of MESABI flexible core heat exchangers that has decided to relocate its El Paso office to Las Cruces. The company purchased the old Coca-Cola bottling plant at 2100 S. Valley Drive.

“We have 60 current employees that will stay with us, and it will be up to them if they chose to move to Las Cruces or stay in El Paso, but we thought this was a nice way to at least show them what Las Cruces has to offer,” said Production Manager Tom Baumchen, in regards to the open house event.

L&M Radiator chartered two buses Saturday, June 4, filled with employees and their families to introduce them to the City of the Crosses. In addition to MVEDA, guests were allowed to peruse several vendors’ booths, including Dona Ana Community College (DACC), Las Cruces Public Schools, the City of Las Cruces, home loan companies, newspaper options and many others. Guests were also treated to a lunch and tour of Las Cruces before going back to Texas.

“We hope this event is the first of many of its kind,” Shepherd said. “We learned a lot from this first experience. For example, someone asked us about child care, and we didn’t have the information to provide them that day, but in the future we will know. And it is obvious, people moving to Las Cruces want to know the best place for their kids to go to school or where they can be safely kept.”

Other than booths, the participants also enjoyed guest speakers, including Margie Huerta, president of DACC, who was able to facilitate a brief question-and-answer session and recognize Las Cruces for its many wonderful opportunities.

“We are excited about the move, and it just came at the right time,” Baumchen said. “The reason for moving here was to continue a longtime partnership we have with TMS Machine Shop, and we found a building that could house both companies.”

Baumchen said the move has already started and anticipates three shifts per week to be operating by Friday, June 17. “We should be all moved over and settled in by the first or second week of August. Overall, we are very eager about being in Las Cruces and thrilled about the tremendous turnout today,” said Baumchen, hinting that an upcoming “phase two” is in the works for the company.

After L&M moves its final belongings to Las Cruces, Baumchen said he anticipates about 30 more hires. “We are bringing 60 people with us, and have already hired 30 more, but I anticipate that with the way work is coming in, we will add another 30 in the near future,” he said.

For Davin Lopez, MVEDA President and CEO, this event helped answer an important question. “For people moving here, where does quality of life fit in?” Lopez asked at the monthly Business on the Border luncheon Tuesday, June 7. “In addition to that, we at MVEDA want to help connect the fact that companies and their people are wanting to move here and are moving here, and how that will impact our local economy.”

L&M Radiator is not the only company making big changes in the area. Keith Beck, vice president and general manager of the Jacobs Technology’s NASA Test and Evaluation Contract (NTEC) at the NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF), also gave an update at the Business on the Border luncheon about what is going on at WTSF.

In regard to the number of people who will be out of work due to departments closing and contracts ending, Beck said a majority of the personnel will be maintained.

“We do a lot of stuff that has to do with testing. Anything that goes into space has to go through testing,” Beck said. “We have 420 employees now and as new jobs come, we look to hire internally first. The fiscal year is looking good, and we don’t anticipate another big hit coming anytime soon.”

Beck also said WSTF is constantly looking at new partnerships to create jobs, such as working with Spaceport America.  “We are currently working on scenarios that Spaceport America could be interested in,” he said. “For example, we are working with nitrous- oxide testing with the (Federal Aviation Administration). We will also have the ability to train people at Spaceport America or provided services as simple as rebuilding a valve on their car so they can get it fixed locally instead of shipping it away.”

At WSTF, Beck is responsible for all rocket propulsion testing, materials and component testing and the processing of flight hardware for the Space Shuttle and International Space Station as well as commercial and military systems. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Christian Brothers University and a master’s degree in engineering management from the University of Tennessee and is a registered Professional Engineer.

The next Business on the Border luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 5, at Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces, 705 S. Telshor Blvd. The meeting will begin with a hot entrée buffet followed by a brief update by MVEDA staff. Luncheon cost is $20 per person and open to the public.  For more information, call MVEDA at 525-2852.

Las Cruces Bulletin photo by Chris Mortensen

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

Las Cruces Public Schools is reporting that all 112 freshmen in its early college high school will be returning to begin classes in its new building on the New Mexico State University campus.

A community group of educators and business leaders called The Bridge pushed for the creation of an early college high school as a national best practice for academically focused students to take classes at a university or college campus environment. Early college high schools enjoy a 95 percent graduation rate, nationally.

LCPS opened the new school last July before construction began on its building at NMSU’s Arrowhead Center. Dona Ana Community College provided classroom space for the first group of students.

The Arrowhead Park Early College High School (APECHS) prepares students to graduate with both a high school diploma and a two year college degree in four years. APECHS students completed their first college-level dual credit course, ninth- and 10th-grade honors English classes and posted district-leading attendance rates. “I like that we’re a small community and we all know each other,” said student Marina Calderon. “We’re like a big family. Here we all communicate with each other, and we’re all under four teachers. Our school motto is ‘We are the Trailblazers.’ So without the teachers taking that risk for the first-year students, we wouldn’t be anything.”

Four of its initial 116 students left the school because of moves or transfers. Most APECHS students are the first in their family to attend a college class and those “at risk” for not completing high school nor pursuing a college degree. Their average grade point average is 3.167. Almost one-third of the students had higher than a 3.5 GPA, and almost two-thirds held higher than a 3.0.

In a comprehensive high school, the freshman year is when almost half of the total dropouts in a class occur. Based on the most recent countywide dropout rate of 49 percent, statistically 27 of these students should have dropped out in a traditional environment.

The new $18 million APECHS campus reflects a 16 percent savings on cost per student, or $42 million in savings to the district. The cost per square foot of the 64,260-square-foot campus is half that of the new $100 million Centennial High School, which is also under construction.

“This is the way we need to think about education for the future of our city, our county, and our state,” said LCPS Superintendent Stan Rounds. “The early college high school model is extremely effective in other parts of the country. In fact, 10 percent of incoming juniors at UTEP are graduates from El Paso’s five early college high schools.”

APECHS is the first early college high school in New Mexico. “We are so proud of the students and staff of this school,” said Kari Mitchell, one of the founders of The Bridge and its current board vice president. “They’ve done an incredible job this year, and we are looking forward to having these well prepared, highly motivated students become part of our county’s future workforce.”

APECHS is a collaborative effort between LCPS, DACC and NMSU.

“These students really rose to the challenge of excelling in their first college-level course this year,” said DACC President Margie Huerta. “They are going to lead the way for the rest of the state. They are proving how important it is that we continue to offer dual credit courses for high school students to give them a real jump start into their college education.”

Discussions are currently under way for more early college high schools in the Las Cruces, Gadsden, and Hatch districts. There could be as many as four countywide opened over the next five years.

Article courtesy of Las Cruces Sun-News

By Brook Stockberger

LAS CRUCES – L&M Radiator Inc. is moving its El Paso manufacturing facility to Las Cruces as it seeks room to expand, and those interested in a job with the company can meet with representatives on Thursday at Dona Ana Community College’s Career Expo 2011.  The job fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the school’s central campus at 3400 S. Espina St., in rooms 75, 77 and 79.

L&M Radiator President Dan Chisholm said that the company had closed the El Paso facility for a while, but reopened and rehired its employees. Now it needs more room and turned its eyes to Las Cruces. “We are doing some limited production there now,” Chisholm said. “Our business has seen a tremendous amount of growth over the last year.”

He said initial reports that the company could hire up to 200 workers might be too high of a number, but that as his company works with others in the area, it is conceivable the overall job impact could reach eventually that level. For now, the more than 60 workers at the El Paso facility are being offered the chance to work in Las Cruces.

“We’ll see who is willing to relocate and how many stay with us,” Chisholm said. “I hope they all do, they’re very good employees.”  He said L&M will need to hire workers in Las Cruces as well.

“(We’ll need) welders, fabricators, assembly people – anybody who has a mechanical background,” Chisholm said. “Certainly we do a lot of training.” Las Crucen Nick Guerrero said he plans to go talk to the company on Thursday. “I know mechanical (work). I used to work for the NASA test facility doing all sorts of stuff,” Guerrero said.

The Minnesota-based company that manufactures large radiators and other cooling systems plans to set up a location in Las Cruces in the building that used to house the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. at 2100 S. Valley Dr.

L&M Radiator, which also has locations in Mexico, Australia and Germany, makes cooling systems for heavy machinery, buses, oil field equipment and others. It sells products under the brand name Mesabi flexible core heat exchangers.

More information about the company can be found online at mesabi.com.

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