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The New Mexico Economic Development Partnership Board Names Steve Vierck as President/CEO of the New Mexico Partnership

Steve Vierck

Release courtesy of the New Mexico Economic Development Department

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Economic Development Partnership (NMEDP) board named Steve Vierck, CEcD, as president and CEO of the New Mexico Partnership during Friday’s NMEDP board meeting. Vierck is a long-time economic development professional who has a strong record of leading and consulting several economic development organizations both in New Mexico and nationally.  In this position, Vierck will be responsible for leading the New Mexico Partnership in its efforts to market New Mexico to companies, business decision makers and site selectors as a premier location to do business.

“Mr. Vierck brings his sterling reputation and tireless work ethic back to New Mexico, I am very much looking forward to working with him and the Partnership staff in recruiting companies to the state,” said Jon Barela, cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Economic Development Department. “He knows New Mexico and the business development community very well and will be able to position and market the state successfully to companies.”

Vierck is currently the president of the economic development division at Angelou Economics in Austin, TX, one of the largest economic development and site selection consulting firms in the U.S. There, he provides oversight and direct involvement on economic development strategies, industry targeting, marketing plans, workforce assessment and implementation support and conducts competitive assessments of economic development programs for states, regions, and communities throughout the U.S. and abroad including benchmarking of results and approaches for clients including Colorado Springs, Colorado; Greater Phoenix Economic Council; Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Wisconsin Department of Commerce.

Prior to that, he successfully led the recruitment and expansion of 49 companies as president/CEO of the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance generating 3,000 jobs and $147 million in capital investment in southern New Mexico.

Chairman of the NMEDP Board and president of First New Mexico Bank, Sean Ormand stated that he had the opportunity to witness Steve Vierck at work honing and shaping successful economic development efforts for communities throughout southern New Mexico and that Vierck “will bring real value to the table and be a great asset to the New Mexico Partnership, a vital public/private economic development effort”

Vierck’s past work experience includes: vice president of economic development for the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, senior vice president of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, executive director of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce and national marketing director of the Arizona Department of Commerce.

Vierck earned his master’s degree in geography with a specialization in economic geography and bachelor’s degree in business administration/regional development from the University of Arizona. He received the “William W. Lampkin Award for Long Term Excellence in Economic Development” and “Developer of the Year” awards in both New Mexico and Arizona. He earned his certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation in 1991 and has served on many economic and workforce development boards.

For more information on the New Mexico Partnership, visit www.nmpartnership.com.

Release courtesy of the NMSU News Center

Top national and state economists will unveil their economic forecasts for 2012 at the inaugural Economic Outlook Conference sponsored by the College of Business at New Mexico State University and Wells Fargo Bank. The free conference takes place from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Corbett Center Student Union on the NMSU campus.

“Wells Fargo’s decision to co-host its economic forecast conference in Las Cruces reflects the growing importance this region has on the overall state economy,” said Garrey Carruthers, dean of the NMSU College of Business and vice president for economic development.

“Wells Fargo is proud to partner with NMSU to present this inaugural economic outlook event,” said Lisa Riley, regional president for Wells Fargo New Mexico. “The purpose of this event is to deliver the very latest information concerning the United States and New Mexico economies. Recent history, current state and future paths of each of these economies will provide the business owner or executive with the best information available to plan for the coming year.”

Delivering the national economic forecast for Wells Fargo will be Eugenio Alemán, a senior economist and vice president for the company. Alemán will discuss the country’s strengthening economy as job creation rises and the housing market stabilizes. He also will discuss the challenges still facing the nation’s economy, particularly the risk posed by a potential collapse of the euro.

At Wells Fargo, Alemán forecasts national, regional and international economic trends. His primary focus is the United States, including interest rates and the economies of Texas and Arizona. He also is an expert on the economies of Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. Within that area, his specialties include the economies of border towns that trade with Mexico and the maquiladora-manufacturing sector along the U.S.-Mexico border. He is based in Charlotte, N.C.

After Alemán’s presentation, NMSU economist Jim Peach will provide the state’s economic forecast. Peach will explain how the national economy affects New Mexico and also will focus on economic growth prospects for the state.  “Three sectors of the state economy – government, energy and construction – will be key factors in both the short- and long-run recovery in New Mexico,” Peach said.

To register for the event, contact Judy Wetzel at 575-521-6849 or at judith.a.wetzel@wellsfargo.com.

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

By Samantha Roberts

As 2011 comes to a close, businesses are rushing to make end-of-the-year deadlines, including renewable energy certificates (REC) for solar that will change in 2012.

F&A Dairy Products will be expanding its solar systems, adding four 100kilowatt units to the existing unit the dairy installed in May. “The four additional units will fuel different parts of the complex and will be located next to the existing unit,” said Bob Snyder, vice president of New Mexico operations for F&A Dairy. Snyder said the dairy decided to add the additional solar now, so it could take advantage of incentives that will expire in 2011.

“RECs are at a peak right now,” said Mellow Honek, a managing member of Sunspot Solar Energy Systems, which installed the panels at the dairy. “They are great right now, but they will still be good next year. The incentives are not going away, but will be changing. “I would definitely recommend other people (add solar). It’s a step in the right direction toward energy independence. And we have an abundance of sunshine here.”

“We thought if we were going to do it, it better be this year,” Snyder said. “The panels significantly offset the energy we use. “Solar does create enough energy to make a difference.”

Though the dairy uses too much energy to be entirely generated by solar, Snyder said the panels will help “take out some of the peaks.” “This is just to offset costs,” he said. “A dairy is a big place, and we use a lot of utilities to process the milk into cheese.”

Honek said the amount of solar the dairy will have after construction on the additional panels is completed in March 2012 will be equivalent to 100 solar systems on mid-sizes houses. “To my knowledge, the one 100-kilowatt unit the dairy has now is the largest commercial system on a privately owned building in New Mexico,” Honek said. “The system after everything is completed will be five times that size.”

Honek said installing all of the panels will take about 1,300 man hours. “The dairy has been a great customer, and they are a perfect example of a company that is making an investment in a major resource we have here,” Honek said. “Powering a portion of their plant using solar shows what is possible for businesses to do to reduce long-term energy costs.”

The dairy doubled in size a little more than one year ago and now employs about 140 people. “We are constantly making changes,” Snyder said. “Our goal is to get both plants running to full capacity.”

F&A Dairy distributes its products to Toucan Market and other distributors. Locally, Dion’s Pizza is a purchaser of F&A Dairy products.

The Future of Dairy in New Mexico

F&A Dairy is one example of growth the dairy industry in New Mexico has seen over the past few years. “Southern New Mexico is a major player in the dairy market,” said Jeff Witte, director/ secretary for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA).

“Southern New Mexico dairies have an abundant milk supply,” Snyder said. “Farmers are leaving California and coming to New Mexico and the Texas panhandle.”

Milk production in New Mexico averages more than 600 million pounds per month, according to the NMDA. New Mexico currently has 173 dairy farms, with a large number of them in eastern New Mexico. There are 20 processing plants in the state.

“Dairy in New Mexico saw growth in the eastern portion of the state from 2008 to ’09,” said Robert Hagevoort, extension dairy specialist with New Mexico State University. Hagevoort said cheese plants in Clovis, N.M., and Dalhart, Texas, spurred this growth. “There are benefits in New Mexico for the dairy industry,” Hagevoort said. “There is a lot of agriculture in New Mexico, so farms can grow the feed that dairies need, and they, in turn, can supply the farms with fertilizer. “There is a natural free flow from each one.”

Hagevoort said dairies also use marginal farmland so they don’t compete with other crops. However, dairies are struggling with drought conditions, high feed costs and corn prices that are increased from ethanol demands. “Depending on world economy, the future of dairy in New Mexico is still great,” he said. “It all depends on larger economic factors beyond our control. Linking energy to food policies doesn’t make any sense.”

WHAT: Re-Energize the Americas Conference
WHEN: 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Oct. 26; 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Oct. 27
WHERE: El Paso Convention Center, One Civic Center Plaza, El Paso, Texas

Re-Energize the Americas seeks to spur economic development of sustainable energy resources and activities within the West Texas, Southern New Mexico and Northern Mexico area known as the “Paso del Norte” by helping to capitalize on the region’s abundant natural resources, production capacity and distribution networks.

The conference is a collaborative effort among New Mexico State University, The University of Texas at El Paso and the El Paso-based economic development organization the Paso del Norte Group.

On Oct. 26, El Paso Mayor John Cook and Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima will open the conference. In addition, NMSU President Barbara Couture will provide an overview of the energy projects being conducted at the university.

The keynote lunch speaker will be Col. Joseph A. Simonelli Jr., garrison commander at Fort Bliss. At the dinner closing the first day of the conference, Hunter Hunt, president and CEO of Hunt Consolidated Energy, will provide the keynote address.

The Re-Energize the Americas conference coincides with the 18th Annual Border Energy Forum sponsored by the Texas General Land Office, which will be held Oct. 27 and 28 at the same location. The two conferences will hold a joint session on Oct. 27.

To request media credentials by noon Oct. 25, please contact Janet Perez at 575-646-4120 or at perezjm@nmsu.edu.

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

By Samantha Roberts

On Friday, Sept. 16, a common topic of discussion was addressed at the White House – jobs. But participants of the discussion were not as common; instead, they were “Champions of Change,” selected members of the southwest handpicked to talk about the status of jobs. Among those champions was Las Crucen John Muñoz, site director of Las Cruces Sitel and president of the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces. Muñoz was nominated by Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima to be selected as a Champion of Change.

“Being nominated by Mayor Miyagishima in a pool of many other talented business leaders here and across the southwest and then being recognized as a handful of Champion of Change and finding out that the interview I did in DC with Fox TV had over 130,000 audience views has my head spinning,” Muñoz said. “Friends and colleagues around the U.S. have called or written saying he saw an article or an interview. I am amazed at the support and well-wishes.”

Muñoz said a plethora of emotions were running through him. “I was scared and surprised, but mostly honored,” Muñoz said. “The real folks that deserve the recognition are the staff members at Sitel – my Sitel family – board members of the Hispano chamber and members of the community.”

At the White House, Muñoz and other champions from San Diego to Laredo, Texas, met with various members of the Obama administration to highlight some of the good things that were happening in the Southwest border region.

“A few initiatives in Las Cruces really caught interest in the White House,” Muñoz said. “Events such as the Reverse Trade Mission and the Small Business Lending Fair, they saw these as new and innovative initiatives that were pushing job creation and sustainability. “It was an incredible experience to share economic development best practices with administration officials and with a handful of leaders from the Southwest.”

Another attention-getter in Washington, D.C., has been the Hispano chamber’s website, bi-monthly publication El Próspero and TV show – the BNC that aims to promote local businesses and nonprofits.

Though Muñoz said he was interested in programs going on in other parts of the country, such as work with San Diego school systems, he said he was especially proud to share the work being done in southern New Mexico.

“I think North America does almost $1 billion a day in trade with Mexico,” Muñoz said. “It makes sense that we leverage this to the benefit of southern New Mexico and find cutting edge ways to be more competitive. There is so much more to this emerging area of our country. Partners such as Doña Ana Community College, The Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico, The Bridge of Southern New Mexico and Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance have been great resources to Sitel and to the Hispano Chamber. Beyond that, our community has been our bedrock. Sitel remains active in our community because we have been given so much.”

As another topic of discussion, Muñoz said he was able to go into detail about the growth at Sitel and the company’s contribution to job growth. “Sitel focuses on optimal results and strong customer service,” he said. “And because of the hard work, results and consistently high quality, we have produced in Las Cruces we have been able to grow into new ventures and new jobs.”

Since March, Muñoz said the company has promoted more than a dozen local Sitel employees to leadership and support positions as well as hire more than 100 new people.

“And we are not done yet,” Muñoz added. “I have seen new entrants to the workplace; single parents and second and third career employees learn life and business skills over the past five years. Since we employ hundreds of people, I get a bird’s-eye view of the mosaic of people from all walks of life and ages.”

In addition to the economics of the discussion, Muñoz said he was also proud to talk about the natural benefits Las Cruces has to offer, such as the Organ Mountains and sunny skies. “Pristine wild lands, our majestic mountains, great weather and friendly Southwest hospitality make this a great region to do business, to live and to raise a family,” Muñoz said. “In the midst of hard times, there is still a frontier, can-do attitude not waiting for things to get better or to happen. Instead, New Mexicans are making things happen.”

As for the future of southern New Mexico, Muñoz said he is hopeful the unemployed can find work. “Putting Americans back to work is critical – it’s job No. 1. We can work with our community leaders and with the Hispano Chamber and other partners and our local businesses to make this happen. In the sessions, we would able to identify some potential resources, which may help us create additional jobs in southern New Mexico. Entrepreneurs and business people by design or, by choice, make things happen.”