By Brook Stockberger/Sun-News Business Editor

LAS CRUCES – Manufacturing is not dead. That was the message Davin Lopez, president and CEO of the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance, gave a breakfast audience at Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces on Thursday. MVEDA’s annual breakfast allows the private/public entity to give report for the recently completely fiscal year.

“It’s a tough time to talk about the economy,” Lopez said. “(And) we’ve been feeling it for the last couple of years.”

Still, the economic development group reports that lead development remains strong and there has been a “significant” jump in terms of manufacturing.

“Almost 45-percent of our leads are in manufacturing and logistics,” Lopez said. “We are hearing that heavy manufacturing is coming back to America.”

He pointed to the addition of Alaska Structures at the West Mesa Industrial Complex. The Anchorage-based company which makes shelters for the military as well as commercial customers, moved into a 184,000-square foot building that used to house Rea Magnet Wire, and also uses about 100,000 square feet at the previously empty building at 8500 Mountain Vista Parkway where Parkview Metal Products used to reside.

“If you think back 12 to 18 months ago, think of all those facilities sitting vacant,” Lopez said.  In fact, he said the Las Cruces area could use more spec buildings. “The biggest challenge we have going forward is we need more buildings,” Lopez said.

In addition, capital investment has jumped considerably in Dona Ana County, spurred by the recently begun Union Pacific Railroad project in Santa Teresa, but also ahead of the pace of the past several years even without Union Pacific.

New officers

Gary Lenzo with Century Bank is MVEDA’s chairman of the board as the new fiscal year begins, stepping in for Citizen’s Bank’s George Ruth, who will now serve as past chairman of the board.  ”I have some big shoes to fill,” Lenzo said.

In addition to Lenzo and Ruth, other officers include: Vice Chair Kiel Hoffman, Pioneer Bank; Secretary Dolores Connor, City Councilor; Treasurer Jim McGonnell, Memorial Medical Center; Executive Committee Member at Large Jack Darnall, Verde Realty.

Bryn Davis, New Mexico operations manager for Sapphire Energy and former past chairman of the board, was presented with a special award for all the work he has performed for MVEDA through the years.  ”I know I’m on the phone with him a lot,” Lenzo said.

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

Century Bank, MVEDA’s newest Gold Partner, held a grand opening for its new Las Cruces Branch located at 141 S. Roadrunner Parkway on December 7^th. Century Bank, originally founded in 1887 as Mutual Building and Loan Association, has branches in Santa Fe, Espanola and Albuquerque. MVEDA vice chair Gary Lenzo is the Las Cruces market president.

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck is home to 250 attorneys and policy consultants and 252 support staff in 12 offices across the western U.S. and in Washington, DC. In New Mexico, their offices are located in Santa Fe and Albuquerque.  Shareholder David Buchholtz from the Albuquerque office works with a number of local firms in business and corporate advisory.

Carlisle Energy, based in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, specializes in turnkey project development and design for large-scale commercial photovoltaic solar rooftops and solar landfill closure systems. Business development manager Doug Parsons is working with a number of local firms interested in rooftop solar photovoltaic systems.

IMA Realtors, located at 125 West Griggs, is owned and operated by Edgar Lopez, CCIM, CPM. Lopez started in the real estate business in 1973 and earned his CCIM designation in 1986.

Bank ‘34 recently opened its new location in Las Cruces at 220 N. Telshor. BANK’34 was originally organized as Alamogordo Federal Savings and Loan Association in 1934, hence its name.  Jill Gutierrez is the president of the Las Cruces Division.

Visvas II Partnership, doing business as the Hampton Inn & Suites, El Paso West, is managed by Frances Medrano.  The hotel is located at 6411 South Desert Boulevard in El Paso.

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

New officers for the upcoming year are:

• Vice-Chair – Gary Lenzo, First Community Bank
• Secretary – Dolores Connor, City of Las Cruces
• Treasurer – Kiel Hoffman, Pioneer Bank
• Executive Committee Member At-Large – J.B. Pruett, Northrise Ventures, LLC

Re-elected board members are:

• Clay Doyle, El Paso Electric
• Gary Lenzo, First Community Bank
• Gabe Ruiz, New Mexico Gas Company

New board members include:

• Jim Easley, Wells Fargo Bank New Mexico
• Stan Rounds, Ex-Officio, Las Cruces Public Schools

MVEDA is governed by a board of directors representing both the private and public sectors. Institutional members represent the City of Las Cruces, Dona Ana County, New Mexico State University, Dona Ana Community College, the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces, and White Sands Missile Range. Private sector board members represent a wide diversity of business and industry. They serve 3-year terms and are elected by the board.