Posts Tagged ‘State of New Mexico’

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 NMSU Communications & Marketing Services

Photo Courtesy of NMSU

Bulldozers are rolling through a chunk of desert owned by New Mexico State University. The heavy equipment is building a new road and laying utilities to better connect NMSU’s Arrowhead Business and Research Park with the rest of campus. The project is also expected to help attract new investments, new clients and eventually thousands of high-paying jobs to the park.

The road will extend south for approximately one mile from the intersection of Payne and Wells streets to Sam Steel Way, which runs parallel to Interstate 10. Construction is scheduled to be complete in March 2010.

The project represents nearly $2 million in investments, including a $900,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Other money for the project came from the state of New Mexico, local road funds, the New Mexico Department of Transportation and NMSU.

“The road will really open up the whole park,” said Kevin Boberg, Arrowhead Center’s CEO. “We can’t do any other development without the utility backbone the road delivers.”

The business and research park is located on the south end of NMSU’s Las Cruces campus between Interstates 10 and 25. The first 11 acres of the 257-acre park are already in development. The most recently completed building, Spaceplex 2, is home to General Dynamics and opened last summer.  The next building scheduled for construction will be nearly 8,000 square feet and be broken into smaller, 1,700-square-foot pads for businesses intending to establish themselves before jumping into larger spaces.

Other plans for the research park include working with the Las Cruces Public School District to construct an early college high school where high school students could take college-level courses for credit.

“Without the infrastructure, we wouldn’t be in a position to take advantage of these opportunities,” said Vickie Galindo, Arrowhead Center’s director of workforce innovation and business development. “We would not have been able to make this happen without the EDA and help from New Mexico Secretary of Economic Development Fred Mondragon.”

The December meeting of the MVEDA Business on the Border Forum will be held on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM at the Day’s Inn Columbus Conference Center, 901 Avenida de Mesilla.  The meeting will begin with a hot entree buffet, followed by an update by MVEDA staff.

Jeff Abrams, Project Manager for the New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership (New Mexico MEP) will be the featured speaker.  The New Mexico MEP is part of a national network which provides technical and business resources to manufacturers who are prepared to expand their capabilities and increase profitability. New Mexico MEP is affiliated with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

New Mexico MEP is uniquely positioned to provide a wide variety of services to manufacturers and small businesses throughout the State of New Mexico. Services offered include:

• Lean Systems
• Quality Systems
• Business Services
• Organizational Development
• Information Technology

Luncheon cost is $15.00 per person, payable by cash, check or major credit card. The meeting is open to the public and reservations are not required.

During the Lt. Governor’s Graduation Summit held in Las Cruces on September 10, the Bridge of Southern New Mexico announced the hiring of its first Executive Director. Selected is Nancy Barnes-Smith, a New Mexico native currently residing in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where she serves as manager of Family and Community Support Services in the Town of High River. She will begin her new role November 16th.

The Bridge was one of several presenters at the Lt. Governor’s Graduation Summit from around the State of New Mexico focusing on increasing the high school graduation rate. The presentation included details of New Mexico’s first Early College High School (ECHS), which will be built in the Arrowhead Research Park at New Mexico State University.

The Bridge has launched a new website which provides more information about the organization and its mission. The September/October issue of the organization’s newsletter, “The Link” includes more details about the new Executive Director and the Graduation Summit presentation. It will be available on the website in the near future.

Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport, has installed three launch pads for NASA’s 2009 Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Centennial Challenge. The Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Centennial Challenge is administered by the X PRIZE Foundation to spur innovation and technology development. Spaceport America’s lunar lander launch pads are designed for the 2009 Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, marking the fourth year of the competition which awards prize money to private companies that can meet the requirements set forth by NASA and the X PRIZE Foundation. In its first three years, the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Centennial Challenge has helped to demonstrate that NASA’s prize program is one of the most innovative and efficient programs in the development of the next generation of lunar landing vehicles.

Called ‘Tranquility Base’ to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, the trio of lunar lander launch pads was constructed the week of June 22 in preparation for this year’s competition, which begins as early as July 20 and continues through October 31, 2009.  The circular reinforced concrete pads are similar in size but different in design. Two are smooth and flat, and the other has built-in ‘lunar craters’ and rocks to more closely resemble the terrain of the moon. Spaceport America will name the lunar pad in honor of the first team that successfully completes the level-two challenge at Spaceport America. The launch pads will also be available for other commercial space companies and educational opportunities.

Spaceport America is now under construction in the State of New Mexico. After marking the official groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, June 19, construction of the airfield is underway. Road improvements and bridge construction are nearly complete, and the latest Requests for Proposal (RFP) and Invitations to Bid (ITB) can be found online at www.spaceportamerica.com. Spaceport America will have a 10,000-foot runway complete by late summer 2010 with the Terminal Hangar Facility projected to be complete by early 2011.