Posts Tagged ‘Union Pacific’

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin, by Samantha Roberts

Union Pacific, which recently began construction of an all-new rail facility outside Santa Teresa, announced a $100,000 donation to Doña Ana Community College as part of Las Cruces Day in Santa Fe during a press conference Monday, Jan. 30, at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe.

The donation, which Zoe Richmond, UP director of public affairs, said was given to DACC to use as the institution sees fit. However, the underlying message at the press conference was creating jobs to sustain UP’s new intermodal facility.

“Doña Ana Community College is excited to be the recipient of such generosity from Union Pacific,” said DACC President Margie Huerta. “We plan to use the funds for scholarships and workforce development to ensure our students have the knowledge needed to qualify for the jobs this new facility will bring to the region.”

There were several key players who helped make the donation a possibility, including Sens. Cynthia Nava and Mary Kay Papen, Rep. Mary Helen Garcia and New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Designate Jon Barela as well as Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance CEO Davin Lopez and Border Industrial Association Executive Director Jerry Pacheco and Juan Massey.

“Union Pacific and Doña Ana Community College is an example of a great private-public partnership,” Lopez said. “We are proud to be a part of this.”

“Right now, we are moving 4.1 million cubic yards of dirt,” Richmond said about developments in Santa Teresa. “We hope this donation strengthens our long-term commitment to southern New Mexico.”

As another part of Union Pacific’s commitment to grow New Mexico, Richmond said seven of the 10 subcontractors working on the project are from New Mexico, which translates to 66 percent of $40 million that has been spent in the Land of Enchantment. The intermodal facility is expected to be completed by 2015, bringing in 600 permanent high-paying jobs.

“The average employee will be making $100,000 in wages and benefits,” Richmond said. “We like to say where we have rails, we have ties.” Richmond said UP chose DACC as a recipient because “DACC is a neighbor” and she is looking forward to a good working relationship with the community college.

“Thank you for your generosity,” Huerta said during the press conference. “The Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce as well as many others have given their help and been so supportive – Davin Lopez, Jerry Pacheco, Juan Massey, (Rep.) Terry McMillan.

“Donations like this will have an immediate impact on southern New Mexico. Developing the workforce in southern New Mexico is critical, and this gift of $100,000 is a huge investment and will yield positive return. “In Doña Ana County, we work with a collaborative spirit to improve the community.”

Nava, former superintendent of Gadsden Independent School District, said the example set in southern New Mexico is remarkable. “The rest of the state should listen,” Nava said. “I fought to get Union Pacific here, and I will fight to hold them accountable to their promises. This check is a great start, and it is about jobs, economic development and the opportunity for students to succeed.”

To help bring UP to southern New Mexico, Gov. Susana Martinez signed into law in 2011 a bill granting Union Pacific a locomotive fuel tax deduction that allowed the company to move forward with an investment of $400 million in the construction of a 2,200-acre rail facility west of the Santa Teresa Airport, which will include fueling facilities, crew change buildings, locomotive inspection tracks, an intermodal ramp and a switching yard.

“This new facility will strengthen our long-term commitment to deliver premium service to our customers,” said Scott Moore, vice president of public affairs for Union Pacific. “Upon completion of this new infrastructure, New Mexico will take its place among the leaders in the goods movement industry.”

A key player in getting the locomotive fuel tax deduction bill passed was Barela. When the bill was passed, Barela called it “a cornerstone to creating jobs in southern New Mexico.”

“Doña Ana County has great potential and thank you to our great corporate neighbor – UP,” Barela said. “The facility is a solid anchor project on the entire Mexico border – all 2,000 miles of it.”

It is with a great deal of excitement that I present to you MVEDA’s First Quarter results of the 2011-’12 Fiscal Year.  It seemed it would be very difficult to match the performance level and results of our last fiscal year, one of MVEDA’s best years ever.  In the last fiscal year we experienced our second best year ever in terms of job creation.  It was by far our best year ever in terms of capital investment made into the region.  Additionally, it was our best year ever in terms of average salaries created which is a direct impact on wealth creation for the region and its residents (please see attached FY 11 Annual Report).   But if this first quarter is any indication of how the rest of the year will proceed then we will have just as much success to look forward to and with great anticipation.

Let me first start off by saying that the “job” of job creation in economic development takes an organized and consolidated approach and it requires the efforts of many groups working together.  In this respect I want to recognize all the team players that make this possible here in Doña Ana County.  They include the New Mexico Economic Development Department, the New Mexico Partnership, the Border Industrial Association and of course our partners at both the City of Las Cruces and Doña Ana County.  They also include our educational and training partners at NMSU and DACC.  And of course it takes the support of all of MVEDA’s private sector partners.

COMPLETED PROJECTS AND SUMMARY OF ACTIVITY

As of September 30, 2011, MVEDA has assisted in the creation of two new locates representing 279 new jobs to Las Cruces.  They include:

• Vangent, a back office support center based in Arlington, VA.  The company announced the decision in early July of this year and have currently hired over 90 employees to date.
• L&M Radiator, a manufacturer of industrial radiators that recently relocated out of El Paso to Las Cruces.

With these two locates, we are far ahead of production levels compared to this same time last fiscal year in terms of project completion, square footage absorption, employment numbers and capital investment.

MARKETING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

As a result of the several locates that have taken place over the last nine months, the MVEDA staff had spent considerable time and energy in project management functions.   Entering the new fiscal year, we have now returned our focus to the marketing efforts of the organization and the re-building of our project pipeline.  Although lead and prospect generation is slower year-to-date compared to this same time last fiscal year, we are once again beginning to see new opportunities.

We have been quite aggressive in our marketing efforts and reaching out to target markets where we believe there is potential for near term growth opportunities.  At MVEDA’s Board Strategic Planning Retreat in June, the staff outlined the following primary targets:

• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles/Systems (UAV/UAS):  The Las Cruces International Airport is the only municipal airport in the US where UAV’s can be tested in the public airspace.  Along with the expertise in systems operations provided by the Physical Science Laboratory, the Las Cruces region becomes a unique opportunity for UAV companies seeking to not only test but to conduct R&D and assembly operations.

• Logistics & Warehousing:  The announcement of Union Pacific this past fiscal year affords us incredible future growth opportunities and we are taking steps to position ourselves for success in this area.

• Renewable Energy:  Over the past 12 months, MVEDA and the region have experienced tremendous success in the development of solar projects.  We continue to aggressively seek out opportunities in this area.  However, we are seeing a shift in new interest from bio-mass companies exhibited by the growth in research in new fuel related agricultural crops.

• El Paso Market:  Over the last 18 months, Las Cruces and Doña Ana County have benefited greatly from growth pressures in El Paso that are squeezing the industrial base.  Early results have included Alaska Structures and L&M Radiator expanding into Las Cruces as well the recent announcement of TE Connectivity’s consolidation into Santa Teresa.

This quarter, we have also participated in prospect trips to Chicago, Boston, Washington DC and San Francisco.   More recently MVEDA also participated in Virgin Galactic’s Industry Day at Spaceport America and the ISPCS conference.

As evident from the above, we are experiencing renewed growth and interest in the region, primarily in the manufacturing sector.  Eighteen months ago, the City of Las Cruces had over 360,000sf of industrial space sitting idle.   Of that space, 300,000sf is now occupied by Alaska Structures in our West Mesa Industrial Park.  Vangent has taken over the former Frontier Airlines reservations center and L&M now occupies the former Multi-Plastics facility.

The Union Pacific project at Santa Teresa further positions Doña Ana County to be a major hub for future distribution and logistics companies.   More recently, but falling within our 2^nd Quarter activity, TE Connectivity officials along with Governor Susana Martinez announced their plans to consolidate their operations in Santa Teresa thereby making their Doña Ana County facility their largest North American distribution center.  We also expect one to two more announcements before the end of the calendar year.

Again, we cannot accomplish our goals without the support of our partners and stakeholders.  We thank each of you for your continued support and we look forward to continuing the mission of job creation for Doña Ana County and New Mexico.

Davin Lopez

President and CEO

Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

On Thursday, Aug. 11, the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance met with community members to discuss the 2010-11 fiscal year for the organization.  Though the economy may be in distress, MVEDA showed growth in the Mesilla Valley.

“I am proud to present the results of MVEDA’s 2010-11 fiscal year, which by almost all accounts has been a record setting year,” said Davin Lopez, president and CEO of MVEDA. “Not only has it been MVEDA’s second-best performing year in terms of job creation and square footage absorption, but the organization also far exceeded any past operating year in terms of capital investment and wealth creation.”

Charged with bringing companies to the Mesilla Valley and increasing the wealth of Doña Ana County, MVEDA works with other entities such as the City of Las Cruces, Doña Ana County, local chambers of commerce as well as a diverse group of leaders from the business community.

“With an additional three solar projects in Doña Ana County with total investments upwards of $100 million, a recent groundbreaking for a major multi-unit residential development in Santa Teresa, and the future industry potential that Spaceport America offers, should make us all stop and wonder whether or not national headlines are accurate … or, at the very least, relevant to our region,” Lopez said.

Over the past fiscal year, 45 companies actively looked into relocating to Las Cruces with several of them completing the process and moving into vacant buildings. Some of these companies include Vangent, Samson, NRG, L&M Radiator, Products USA and NextEra Energy.

In early June, MVEDA hosted an open house for L&M Radiator, a manufacturer that recently announced its move to Las Cruces. L&M plans to transfer or hire more than 100 employees, Lopez said.

“Less than a year ago, Alaska Structures expanded in Las Cruces’ West Mesa Industrial Park and now occupies more than 300,000 square feet in two facilities and employs more than 300 workers,” Lopez added.

The year generated more than 580 jobs, contributed to more than 270,000 square feet in commercial real estate absorption, with capital investments totaling more than $540 million. The average salary for the new jobs exceeds $47,000 per year, which is almost 28 percent above average wages for Doña Ana County.

Since January 2003, through the most recent fiscal year, MVEDA has assisted in the expansion or location of 68 projects in Doña Ana County – including Union Pacific – creating more than 3,200 jobs with an annual payroll in excess of $96 million.

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Sun-News

By Diana M. Alba

 SANTA TERESA, N.M. – Amid a backdrop of national uncertainty about the economy, a slate of New Mexico’s top elected officials Monday heralded the growth that could originate with a new $400 million Union Pacific project in Santa Teresa.

Republican Gov. Susana Martinez and three of the state’s five congressional representatives – U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Jeff Bingaman, Democrats, and Rep. Steve Pearce, Republican – were on hand to mark the start of construction on a new rail yard and intermodal facility, along the international border.

Bingaman noted he doesn’t attend nearly as many groundbreaking ceremonies these days as he once did, acknowledging the country’s economic situation in recent years. Even so, he seemed optimistic.

“Union Pacific deserves great credit for reminding us, with the investment they’re now making today and the work they’re beginning today, that the economy of this country is going to come roaring back, and they’re going to be ready when it does come roaring back,” he said to a crowd gathered just south of a Santa Teresa industrial park.

The facility, expected to take four years to build, will create some 3,000 construction jobs over a four-year construction schedule, officials said. Some 600 permanent jobs would be created, once operations start.

The facility would serve as a place to refuel locomotives and transfer shipping containers from trucks to rail and vice versa. Union Pacific officials said it will serve as focal point for products being shipped to both the East and West coasts.

Martinez said the southern New Mexico region is ripe for economic growth along the international border, but the state hasn’t taken advantage of that in past years.

“New Mexico has not made the most of its strategic positioning in the region, and that changes today,” she said.

The company awarded 65 percent of its first wave of contracts to local companies and is making a commitment to continue that investment, said Jim Young, chairman and CEO of Union Pacific. Also, it’s working with Dona Ana Community College to make sure residents are trained to work at the facility when it’s done.

“We will do everything we can to hire local,” he said.

In the distance, two Union Pacific locomotives and a tailing train were positioned strategically behind officials, as they addressed the crowd of dignitaries and businessmen.

Instead of the stereotypical groundbreaking with shovels and hard hats, officials signed their names into wet concrete blocks, which a Union Pacific official said will eventually be incorporated into the rail hub.

“We’ll have a wall that will enshrine the folks who are here today kicking off this project in a way that will stay with this facility throughout its life,” said Bob Turner, Union Pacific senior vice president, corporate relations.

Attendee Victoria Perea of El Paso, who retired from El Paso Electric Co. as an economic development liaison, said talk of the rail hub has been in the pipeline for years, but the project is finally materializing. She credited the governor, who she also said is a longtime friend.

“Economic development happens over time,” said Perea, a La Mesa native. “I believe there’s a lot of potential, but the potential is in the future.”

Pearce said in a statement he’s promoted the project since 2005 and is “happy to see this work coming to fruition in the form of jobs for New Mexico.”

“New jobs are the key to economic security, which is why I have made jobs my top priority in Congress,” he said.

Udall, too, highlighted the jobs that will result.

“The best thing is the good news of growing jobs here in New Mexico, which is what we need to do in Washington,” he said. “It’s what we need to do at the local level, because that’s what people want right now.”

The facility will be 11.5 miles long and one mile wide and entail 26 buildings and 200 miles of railroad track, according to a Union Pacific news release.

Monday’s gathering was reminiscent of one in October 2006 in Santa Teresa, when Union Pacific officials said construction on the hub could have started in 2008, if a key train fuel tax break were granted by the Legislature. The project never started.

What put the project on hold in recent years was the national economy, said Aaron Hunt, director of corporate relations and media for Union Pacific. But Hunt said the company certainly is moving forward now.

“We’re in it for the long-haul at this point,” he said.

Diana M. Alba can be reached at (575) 541-5443

Union Pacific is currently seeking qualified, New Mexico sub-contractors/vendors for their rail facility project in Santa Teresa.    This is the first in a series of contractor identification needs they have and this list will likely expand over the next several years.   In this Phase I request they are ONLY searching for companies with work experience in the following areas:

• Mechanical – HVAC

• Electrical – Industrial Site and Building

• Painters – Interiors

• Dry wall

• Landscapers

• Building Construction

• Masonry

• Concrete and Asphalt Paving

• Pavement Striping

New Mexico vendors are urged to complete the vendor profile (PDF attached below) and return it to MVEDA at your earliest opportunity. All vendor profiles will be included to prime contractors during their pre-bid stage. The deadline for submission is July 29, 2011.

Union Pacific Vendor Profile.pdf