Posts Tagged ‘Juarez’

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

By Samantha Roberts

More than two dozen Mexican investors will visit Las Cruces as part of a Foreign Investment Trade Mission organized by the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces and New Mexico Economic Development Department Office of Mexican Affairs from 2 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 1 8, at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave.

This event marks the first trade mission in Las Cruces and the first bi-national event at the new convention center, said Peter Ibarbo, organizer of the trade mission and newly appointed chair of the Hispano chamber’s Economic Development Committee.

Ibarbo said he wanted to bring the event to Las Cruces as an effort to fulfill the chamber’s mission to promote culture. “I have been involved in numerous (trade missions) before in Albuquerque,” Ibarbo said. “There has never been anything like this in Las Cruces. There are a lot of great opportunities Las Cruces has to offer. I hope the event captures additional businesses and showcases the region’s assets.”

Trade sessions will be held from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. and include the following:

•Table 1: Real estate development – This table consists of prospects interested in viewing investment opportunities in projects involving hotel development, townhome development, condominium complex development, apartment complex development, gasoline station-convenience store development and other similar commercial real estate opportunities.

•Table 2: Restaurant and café development – This table consists of prospects interested in viewing viable commercial properties to develop restaurants and cafes.

•Table 3: Import and distribution – This table consists of prospects interested in identifying joint-venture partners to expand their marketing channels and establish distribution centers. The products include wooden dowel, plugs and bungs manufacturing looking to partner with a U.S. company to establish a consolidated distribution center; infectious disease and environmental health hazard control kits; a buyer looking for a U.S. supplier for national distribution in Mexico; corrugated cardboard packaging manufacturing looking to develop a market to possibly establish a processing plant in Las Cruces for local and international distribution; and a supplier development center looking to make contacts with potential maquiladora suppliers in the realm of metal stamping, machining, plastic injection and packaging.

•Table 4: Tourism and special events – This table consists of prospects interested in partnering with travel agencies to promote weekend getaways to Copper Canyon, promote tourism in Chihuahua, Mexico as well as looking to coordinate special events in Las Cruces and identify vendors from Las Cruces that may want to showcase products at special events in Chihuahua, such as the Chihuahua Balloon Festival, ExpoAlimentab, ExpoMaquila, etc.

•Table 5: Commercial space supply chain – This table consists of commercial space supply chain coordinators interested in viewing potential suppliers for the commercial space industry. Areas of interest include construction of commercial space facilities, common area maintenance suppliers for commercial space facilities and tier 1/2 commercial space production inputs.

•Table 6: Sister City agreements – This table consists of four municipalities interested in establishing sister city agreement discussions with potential cities around the Las Cruces region. These cities include Guerrero, Cuauhtemoc, Meoqui and Chihuahua.

With a multi-faceted group of investors, Ibarbo said he is also inviting a wide range of businesses to the event. “We are inviting the business community in Las Cruces to come with established products that are looking to expand and make new contacts,” he said. “Companies who want to grow their market, such as real estate developers who would like to partner and bring hotels and condominiums. “We are also reaching out to local agencies that are active in economic development and want to provide a platform in foreign investment.”

Registration for tables includes: $500 for logo presence, an exhibitor’s table and an access pass for two persons to participate in the private lunch, business-to-business sessions and dinner; $250 for an exhibitor table and an access pass for two persons to participate in the business-to-business session dinner; and $100 for a banner sponsorship that will be positioned in a prominent place during the event. Admission tickets can also be purchased for $17.50 to $35 per person.

In addition to the tables, the event will also host a dinner at 6 p.m. and offer different levels of entry fees to cater to everyone’s needs. Tickets can be purchased for the business-to-business marketing session, dinner or both.

The dinner will include keynote speakers from the Commercial Space Committee, who will talk about the commercial-supply chain for Spaceport America; Sacred Power, which will discuss alternative-energy developments; and Jose Louis Mauricio, who comes from the El Paso-Juárez area and founded La Red, a company that has helped to establish more than 100 businesses in El Paso.

“The Hispano chamber is partnering with the New Mexico Economic Development Department, the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance and the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce,” Ibarbo said. “If you are a member of any of these groups, then you can get more information from them, or anyone can contact the Hispano chamber.”

For more information or to register, contact the Hispano chamber at (575) 532-9255.

Article courtesy of El Paso Times

By Ramon Bracamontes

Photo courtesy of International Business Accelerator

SANTA TERESA — Union Pacific is poised to expand its operations in the El Paso region by building a new $400 million railroad hub in Santa Teresa that is expected to provide Southern New Mexico with a $500 million economic boost, officials said Friday.

Construction of the hub will begin this year if the New Mexico Legislature approves a locomotive fuel tax exemption for Union Pacific.

The company’s plans were announced Friday by New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez during a press conference with Union Pacific officials in Santa Teresa. Neither the governor nor Union Pacific said how much that tax exemption was worth.

They said only that Union Pacific pays a lot in fuel tax in New Mexico.

Martinez said she is already working with the Legislature to approve the tax break.

“I am here to honor a commitment the state of New Mexico made three years ago,” Martinez said.

She said she is hopeful the Legislature will approve the tax exemption, which will allow “Union Pacific to start building and New Mexicans to start working.”

The railroad and New Mexico officials originally announced plans for the project in 2006. It was halted after Union Pacific encountered problems acquiring the land, and the effort slowed when the national economy stalled.

Now that Union Pacific is prepared to spend $3.2 billion to improve its operations nationwide, the company is ready to invest in Santa Teresa, said Aaron Hunt, spokesman for Omaha, Neb.-based Union Pacific.

Construction of the facility is expected to create 3,000 jobs from 2011 to 2015. About 300 permanent jobs will remain after the hub is built.

The company’s plans include moving some of its fueling and maintenance operations from El Paso to Santa Teresa.

However, Union Pacific will keep its El Paso rail yards and its cross-border rail service between El Paso and Juárez, Hunt said.

“We are not leaving El Paso,” Hunt said.

“To be able to expand, we need to do it here. Everything you see in El Paso will remain. And everyone who has a job in El Paso right now will have one in 2015.”

The only major change is that some of those employees may have to work in Santa Teresa, instead of Downtown El Paso.

Sunland Park Mayor Martin Resendiz said the new hub will go a long way toward improving the economy in his city and in Santa Teresa.

“We’ve been waiting for years for this project to begin,” Resendiz said.

“It will help the entire region.”

Union Pacific’s new hub is about one mile northwest of the Santa Teresa Port of Entry and adjacent to the Verde Realty industrial park that abuts the port of entry.

The 23-acre hub includes a new fueling facility, crew-change buildings and a switch yard.

Verde Realty official Justin Ruby did not want to comment on what the hub means for the commercial parks, its tenants and future development.

“We are very excited to have Union Pacific here and next to us,” Ruby said.

For years, Verde Realty has been working with New Mexico’s elected officials to expand and develop the area around the Santa Teresa Port of Entry.

In 2005, U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman secured $14 million to aid in the construction of roads leading to the Union Pacific facility, which has been on hold for the past few years. That money remains available for the project.

Bingaman also worked with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to expedite a land exchange with the New Mexico State Land Office in order to provide the land needed for the facilities.

“This inland port will give New Mexico a stake in one of the most important rail corridors in the country,” Bingaman said. “In the long term it will enhance New Mexico’s standing as a great place for commerce.”

Ramon Bracamontes may be reached at rbracamontes@elpasotimes.com; (915) 546-6142.

Release courtesy of the International Business Accelerator

Santa Teresa, New Mexico – JBC International, LLC, a regional plastics recycling company, has established operations in Chaparral, New Mexico. This five-year-old company currently has recycling operations in Juarez, Mexico. Its new plant in Chaparral will collect plastic products and recycle them into usable production inputs for industrial applications. The company plans to hire approximately 12 employees for the Chaparral plant.

According to JBC International CEO Carlos Gonzalez, “Our new Chaparral location is conveniently located next to the industrial bases in El Paso, Juarez, and southern New Mexico. We were impressed with all of the support we received from the New Mexico Economic Development Partnership, the Otero County Economic Development Council, and the Western New Mexico Small Business Development Center. These entities were all extremely helpful in providing business environment, workforce, and economic development incentive information.”

The company has purchased the land and constructed a building for its operations in the Otero County side of Chaparral. It expects to begin operations by early 2011.

JBC International is a plastics recycling company that recycles over 12,000 lbs of plastic daily. Other scrap materials the company recycles include pallet, cardboard, and metal. The company purchases the material, processes it for industrial applications, and sells it to buyers in the region

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

By Gabriel Vasquez

The Santa Teresa Port of Entry could be a model for effectual cross-border transportation and economic development, if only the right pieces fall into place, said Francisco Uranga, Foxconn vice president and chief business operations officer for Latin America.

Francisco Uranga

Uranga, speaking during an economic forum held by the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance Friday, Oct. 8, urged local business leaders to rally local, regional and state legislators to focus their economic development efforts on improving infrastructure in Santa Teresa that has “tremendous potential” for bi-national development. “There are tremendous opportunities here to create a transportation metroplex that serves the purposes of the industrial companies on both sides of the border,” Uranga said. “People must realize the potential for the entire region, because as it is now, we’re being extremely inefficient with our transportation in this area.”

Uranga was instrumental in bringing the 500-acre Foxconn manufacturing facility to San Jeronimo, Mexico, which employs about 6,000 people and manufactures roughly 13,000 computers, laptops and servers each day. Foxconn is a Taiwanese industrial giant, building the majority of electronic components for popular companies such as Apple, Nokia, Motorola, HP and others. Foxconn has 1.1 million employees worldwide and is growing at an astounding rate, increasing profits by 67 percent in 2009.

When the San Jeronimo Foxconn facility was built in 2009, it was anticipated that the facility would bring many supply and logistics companies to the U.S. side of the border, which would significantly increase traffic through the Santa Teresa crossing and prompt economic development on both sides of the border.

That progress has been slow in coming, however, Uranga said, for various reasons. The approval and subsequent extension of the Juarez free trade zone will not go into effect until next year, Uranga said. The promised rail station, train-to-truck facility and refueling station proposed years ago by Union Pacific Railroad has also yet to materialize, and renovations are needed to the Santa Teresa Airport to accommodate large passenger and cargo jets, such as DC-10 aircraft, to satisfy the needs of logistics companies.

Uranga said the Santa Teresa-San Jeronimo border corridor is ideal for new maquilas and other enterprises because of its close proximity to the Santa Teresa Port of Entry, which would allow American investors, business and operations managers to cross into Mexico without fear of encountering the violence that has so badly plagued Ciudad Juarez.

“Picture an operation along the fence of the U.S. line, with secure corridors going through both U.S. and Mexican customs, where goods are coming through with dedicated lanes for transportation,” he said “This is why the importance of the (Foxconn) project is being talked about. We’re thinking about a new railway, a new (Santa Teresa Airport) runway and the expansion of the (Santa Teresa) crossing.”

In August, Gov.Bill Richardson announced that the New Mexico Border Authority signed a $1.23 million grant agreement with the Economic Development Administration, which will be utilized to evaluate the expansion of commercial rail services along the U.S.-Mexico border. The agreement has the full support of Richardson and U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman.

“Expanding commercial rail service along the border is fundamental to increasing trade between the United States and Mexico and will be a huge boost to the economy of southern New Mexico,” Richardson said. “I am pleased that this grant will allow us to continue our work on this important project.”

Zoe Richmond, director of public affairs for Union Pacific, said the railway extension project proposed by UP isn’t yet off the table, but she didn’t give a timetable for future investment in the area.  “We stalled the project,” she said. “We did that obviously because of the economy. We are not able at this time to advance as we originally thought.”

The proposed $150 million Santa Teresa UP transfer station would clear congestion on the El Paso and Juarez railway, Uranga said. The transfer station would create more than 280 jobs and be able to process up to 100,000 containers per year.

Plans for improvements to the Santa Teresa Airport, however, are materializing. In September, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that Santa Teresa will receive $2.2 million in funding for runway extensions.

“We’re taking baby steps to neutralize any major disadvantages we may have,” said Jerry Pacheco, director of the International Business Accelerator, a New Mexico nonprofit that specializes in cross-border economic development. Uranga said without state and federal financial support, infrastructure improvements and cross-border communication and cooperation, development on the Santa Teresa corridor will continue to lag.

“If you build it, they will come,” Uranga said. “If these things are in place, by having these projects complete and expanding the (Santa Teresa) airport, when you can have a container yard on the Mexican side, you can reroute the train lines from the center of Juarez to Santa Teresa.”

Ultimately, if the border transportation and logistics corridor that Uranga envisions becomes reality, he sees the “inefficient” trucking dominated transportation system currently in place across the border as a thing of the past. No longer will hundreds of trailers from the west and inner-city of Juarez logjam El Paso’s three border crossings every day, but instead a sophisticated truck-to-train system, with the help of logistics and transportation companies on each side of the border, will replace the current system, with many companies using the Santa Teresa Port of Entry.

“This is great potential that we’re sitting on,” Uranga said. “We bought into the idea, my chairman trusted me in setting up the (Foxconn) facility here, and once the free trade zone is approved in the first quarter of next year, we’ll start moving.

“But we need private sector people to continue to work with us and set up next to us. We need the U.S. side, the Mexico side, the New Mexico side and the Juarez and El Paso side working together on this. If we continue competing and fighting among each other, it won’t work. We need to maximize our potential.”

At Foxconn, Uranga is responsible for government relations at all levels as well as regulations, incentives, tax and duties, legal customers, immigration and land and construction issues in Latin America. He serves on the Board of Directors of Superior Industries International Inc., one of the largest wheel-makers in the world. From 1998 to 2004, he served as secretary of industrial development for the State of Chihuahua.

Article Courtesy of the New Mexico Partnership

Map of the Santa Teresa-El Paso-Juarez region depicting the new Border Highway Extension

Recently, the remaining 7.2 miles of the unpaved road stretching west from the border highway in Anapra, formally called, “Prolongación del Boulevard Fronterizo” or “Border Highway Extension” to the Santa Teresa Port of Entry was paved. This road consists of two fully paved lanes with an additional two lanes slated for completion within the next few months. This newly completed road runs parallel to the border fence, connecting the Santa Teresa Port of Entry to Border Highway, sometimes referred to as the Rivereño in downtown Juarez.  A vehicle traveling from Santa Teresa Port of Entry can now arrive at the City Hall in Juarez in less than 20 minutes.

This infrastructure improvement will help reduce the traffic congestion at the El Paso-Juarez international bridges. Commercial traffic generated by maquiladoras located in this corridor can now expedite their flow of materials by utilizing this efficient route between the U.S. and Mexico.