Posts Tagged ‘Las Cruces Convention Center’

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

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 the Las Cruces Bulletin

Bulletin Staff Report

About two dozen Mexican investors will meet with local business owners and industry experts during the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces’ Reverse Trade Mission Friday, March 18, at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave.

According to the Hispano chamber, the objectives of the mission are to showcase the potential growth areas in the Las Cruces region to foreign investors; introduce foreign investors to existing businesses in the area and provide an opportunity to expand their product lines and create joint-ventures; introduce foreign investors to entrepreneurs in the Las Cruces region; and to create new jobs in the Las Cruces area.

“This is a first for the Hispano chamber, but it’s an event we plan to hold every year to remind foreign investors of the opportunities our area has to offer,” said Peter Ibarbo, Hispano chamber board member and chair of the chamber’s Economic Development Committee. “We are expecting 25 investors from Mexico to come to the area and tap into local resources and expertise in a mutually beneficial, business-to-business setting.”

Investors will explore local industries related to hotel and tourism development, café and restaurant development, product distribution center development, maquiladora supplier development, alternative energy infrastructure development and real estate development.

The day will begin at 1:30 p.m. with a lunch session for the investment delegation featuring welcoming remarks from John Munoz, Hispano chamber president, and Ken Miyagishima, Las Cruces mayor. Introductions by Las Cruces Economic Development entities will be given by Kevin Boberg of the Arrowhead Center and Christine Logan of the City of Las Cruces Economic Development Department.

A pre-qualified business-to-business session with potential business partners and associates will take place from 2:30 to 5:25 p.m. From 5:30 to 6 p.m., local attorneys will speak on tax and fiscal issues regarding bi-national business activities and business immigration visas.

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce has been invited to give the opening remarks for the 6 p.m. dinner, to be followed by a presentation on the Spaceport America supply chain by Wayne Savage, chair of the Commercial Space Committee for the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce. Odes-Armijo Caster of the Albuquerque- based Sacred Power Co. will talk about solar energy initiatives and developments in New Mexico.

Individual ticket prices are $17.50 for Hispano chamber members, which includes full access to business-to-business sessions and dinner, and non-member ticket prices are $25 for access to the business-to-business sessions only, $35 for business- to-business sessions and dinner and $27.50 for dinner only tickets.

To learn more or to purchase a ticket, call Ibarbo at 621-5240 or email peter@ibarbogroup.com.

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

Photo courtesy of Fred Shepherd

In one of the first events at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 60 area businesses had booths at the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce Industry Day event Wednesday, Dec. 1, to possibly get attention from 10 contractors interested in bidding on Spaceport America operational contracts.

Participating businesses offering services for sub-contracting ranged from hi-tech companies with sophisticated communications and computer capabilities to more basic needs like security screenings and CPR training.

The event also included presentations on the spaceport’s two main customers – Virgin Galactic and UP Aerospace.

Construction of Spaceport America is expected to be completed by early next year. Virgin Galactic is currently testing its new spaceliner and could possibly begin taking six passengers per flight into suborbital space above southern New Mexico.

The Commercial Space Committee of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce is working to bring commercial space opportunities to existing businesses in the Las Cruces area.  New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) will hold Pre-proposal briefings at Las Cruces City Hall on December 1 for potential contractors interested in bidding on three separate RFPs issued for work at Spaceport America.  Following the pre-proposal meetings, the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce will host an Industry Day event at the Las Cruces Convention Center.

Las Cruces Industry Day

Wednesday, December 1, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave

The Industry Day event will bring local companies face-to-face with potential bidders so they can explore partnerships in responding to the RFPs.  Companies responding to the RFPs will need to provide services ranging from building maintenance and janitorial services, to environmental permitting, to email and software support.   Local firms that could provide subcontractor services as a part of any or all of the RFPs can register for a booth at the event.  Each of the companies that attend pre-bid meetings will be encouraged to attend the Industry Day to meet with potential local partners.

To register for the Industry Day event, email the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce at relo@lascruces.org or call them at (575) 524-1968.  Registration is free but you must be registered to participate.  Space is limited, please register soon!

For more information on the Industry Day Event see the attached “frequently asked questions” or contact the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce. For more information on kinds of work / jobs / contracts that might be needed under these RFP’s, see the attached “operational services work scope summaries.”

For more information about the three Requests for Proposals go to the Spaceport America website at www.SpaceportAmerica.comand look under the ‘Proposals’ tab.