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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.”

Dan Chisholm, company President, said nearly all the employees from the El Paso plant have chosen to stay with L&M in its move to Las Cruces.  Even so, said Chisholm, L&M will need to increase its Las Cruces work force by about 30% from its current 138 to meet demand. The plant is 100% operational and running three shifts per day, five days a week.  Chisholm said people interested in applying for new positions could do so online at www.mesabi.com, or apply in person at a plant open house scheduled for Saturday, September 24 from 10 AM – 2 PM.

“We are pleased with our decision to relocate our Southwest plant to Las Cruces,” said Chisholm.  “The Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance has been very helpful in helping us relocate and expand here, and the work force has quickly learned our manufacturing processes and is highly motivated.  Doña Ana Community College provided valuable training for new employees.”

L&M’s El Paso plant was L&M’s second US plant when it opened in 1980 and fourth in the world.  L&M also has US plants in Hibbing, MN, Independence, IA, and Yankton, SD, and in Mexico and Australia. It is in the process of opening a seventh plant in northern Chile that will serve L&M’s markets in South America. Total L&M employment worldwide is more than 700, according to Chisholm.

Chisholm said the Las Cruces plant open house on Saturday will give Las Cruces area residents a look at what L&M makes, plus persons interested in job openings a chance to apply.  L&M supervisors will be available to answer questions related to employment opportunities.  The open house will take place from 10AM – 2 PM.  Refreshments will be provided.

L&M Radiator is family owned and now in its third generation of management.  Dan Chisholm’s grandfather co-founded L&M Radiator in 1957. It was acquired soon thereafter by Dan’s father, Alex, who remains active in the business today.  The third family member is Dan’s sister, Laura Chisholm Ekholm.  Plant headquarters are in Hibbing on the Minnesota Mesabi Iron Range – hence the origin of its brand name.

The design concept of the MESABI® radiator originated during WWII desert tank warfare when it was discovered British tanks could be disabled with a single bullet hole through the radiator. The radiator the British developed featured individual cooling tubes held in radiator headers by individual rubber seals.  The seals allowed damaged tubes to be replaced in the field and often without removing the radiator from the tank.  The concept virtually eliminates leaking; MESABI® radiators usually do not need maintenance, other than simple cleaning, for up to 25,000 hours of equipment operation.

 The L&M MESABI® radiator is now used worldwide in all heavy-duty, off-road mobile and stationary equipment. Variations on the design concept include radiators, complete radiator cooling packages, oil coolers, charge air coolers, and tube and shell coolers.  According to Chisholm, the majority of its heat exchangers are used in mining, and oil and gas exploration and drilling.

By Brook Stockberger/Business Editor

How difficult is economic development in southern New Mexico? For one thing, liqueur licenses are too expensive, some with purchase prices as high as $700,000, said Mike Espiritu, executive director of the Otero County Economic Development Council.

“I cannot get a grocery store in Alamogordo because of the price of a liqueur license,” Espiritu said. “A liqueur license is an economic development issue, (but) the legislation hasn’t been changed since the early 1980s.”

Davin Lopez, CEO and president of the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance said that competition is intensifying in the Southwest.

“Arizona has put its flag in the sand and said, ‘We’re back in business,’” Lopez said. “And, on the other side, we have Texas (working hard.)”

So what should the state with the lowest population in the Southwest do to build momentum in job creation? Here in southern New Mexico, a spirit of cooperation has taken hold among competitors. And while it’s not exactly Macy and Gimble shaking hands in “Miracle on 34th Street,” Lopez, Espiritu and John Mulcahy, executive director of the Sierra County Economic Development Organization, have made the effort to work together for the good of the region.

The three men spoke about economic development during MVEDA’s monthly luncheon on Tuesday at Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces.

“We devote time to regional development,” Lopez said. “While I’d rather not lose a deal, I’d want to lose it to these guys rather than Arizona or Texas.”

Lopez said that MVEDA has recently finished one of its best fiscal years ever for capital investment and in other areas. Still, there is a lot of work to be accomplished, including efforts for Spaceport America.

“Virgin Galactic has been using our office for a series of companies they’ve been meeting with,” Lopez said.

“Davin and I have been working on spaceport needs,” Mulcahy said. “We met with contractors last week.”

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

LAS CRUCES – Virgin Galactic announced Wednesday it was chosen by NASA to carry scientists and their technology experiments to suborbital space. The space tourism company plans to eventually launch suborbital flights from Spaceport America, just north of Dona Ana County.

“This arrangement marks the first time that NASA has contracted with a commercial partner to provide flights into space on a suborbital spacecraft and represents another important endorsement of the value of regular commercial space access for a wide range of science and educational applications,” Virgin Galactic said in a news release.

A second Spaceport America client, the Texas-based Armadillo Aerospace, also secured a portion of the $10 million in NASA awards handed out to seven commercial space companies.

Spaceport America director Christine Anderson described the announcement as “exciting news.”  “UP Aerospace, Armadillo Aerospace and Virgin Galactic are already clients of our spaceport, and we are in a unique position to help these companies and the others deliver on their new NASA contracts,” she said in a prepared statement.

NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program, managed out of NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif., announced the awards, according to the company. Through this program, NASA has already arranged the flight of several scientific payloads on low-altitude rockets.

Virgin Galactic’s two-vehicle system – a spaceship launched from a plane – is in development at Mojave, Calif., by the company Scaled Composites. According to a log, 15 glide flights of the spaceliner, SpaceShipTwo, had been completed through June 27.

SpaceShipTwo is the “only crewed suborbital vehicle in flight test today,” Virgin Galactic said. The company “offers a significantly larger cabin than any other company taking deposits today, allowing for unique technology demonstrations and research,” according to the news release.

In February, Virgin Galactic announced it signed a contract with a private, nonprofit research group to fly two researchers and their payloads to space. The group planned to buy six additional tickets.

In all, 445 future passengers have booked flights and made deposits totaling about $55 million, according to Virgin Galactic.

State Economic Development Secretary-designate Jon Barela, whose agency is connected to Spaceport America, said Tuesday that construction on the facility is about 90 percent finished.

CHAPARRAL, NM – A welcoming ceremony was held today for Snap Green Industries, LLC, a plastics recycling company, that is establishing new operations in Chaparral. The company is expected to create approximately 40 new jobs at its Chaparral site within three years.

New Mexico Economic Development Department Secretary-designate Jon Barela, along with other local officials, attended the ceremony.

“It’s great to see another business planting its roots in rural New Mexico,” Barela said. “Not only will Snap Green Industries bring jobs to southern New Mexico, but it is also part of a growing plastics recycling industry that is important to this region and the state.”

Snap Green Industries, LLC has been in business for eight years and currently has operations in Juarez, Mexico and a warehouse in El Paso, Texas. Its new operation in Chaparral will recycle different types of plastics such as polyethylene and PET to produce a variety of production inputs that are environmentally friendly. In the first phase, the company will construct a 4,000-square-foot building. In the second phase, the company will construct a 20,000-square-foot industrial building.

“Our new Chaparral site affords us the advantage of being close to our markets in El Paso, Juarez, and southern New Mexico,” said Francisco Alberto Rodarte, the CEO of Snap Green Industries, LLC. “We are very happy with the support we received from the New Mexico Partnership and the Otero County Economic Development Council, which assisted us in establishing our new operations. We look forward to becoming a productive member of the southern New Mexico business community.”

Snap Green Industries, LLC provides other products and services such as recycling systems integration design, the rent and sale of machinery for waste management, the sale of different types of grinders, processed plastics, hoses for irrigation systems and molded parts.

The company expects to start operations at the beginning of August 2011.

SANTA FE – New Mexico’s Santa Teresa Port of Entry officially began a $10 million expansion project on Thursday with a ceremonial groundbreaking at the site. Construction will begin later this month and is expected to conclude in September 2012, will double port capacity.

New Mexico Economic Development Department Secretary-designate Jon Barela joined several dignitaries from the U.S. General Services Administration, the U.S. Customs & Border Protection Agency and representatives from the New Mexico Congressional delegation for the groundbreaking.

“The expansion at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry is a big step in our plan to increase economic development at the New Mexico border region,” Barela said. “This expansion will not only benefit our region, but also will help handle the increased number of crossings by commercial and non-commercial vehicles.”

The components of the expansion include:

•Two Additional Northbound Non-Commercial Lanes and Inspection Booths

•Expanded Secondary Inspection Area for Non-Commercial Vehicles

•Pedestrian Walkway and Expanded Inspection Area

•One Additional Commercial Lane and Inspection Booth

•New Southbound Inspection Facility

•Modernization/Renovation of the Main Port Administration Building

Since 1997, the number of annual northbound passenger vehicle crossings at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry has gone from less than 100,000 to more than 500,000 and is continuing to grow.

The Santa Teresa Port of Entry is located 42 miles south of New Mexico’s second largest city, Las Cruces, and 20 minutes from historic downtown El Paso, Texas. From the POE, Interstate 10 is an easy 12 miles down the modern Pete Domenici Highway, the newest borderland multi-lane transportation link.

With little congestion and short lines, Santa Teresa, via its sister port Jeronimo is the premier driving route to southern Cd. Juarez, Cd. Chihuahua, and further into the interior of Mexico.

Open daily for commercial, non-commercial, and pedestrian traffic, Santa Teresa is the newest port of entry on the US/Mexico border. The state-of-the art facilities were opened in 1998, replacing the original port, which opened in 1992.