New Mexico Set to Celebrate Manufacturing Sector

Technology Leadership High School students during the Sandia Science and Technology Park Manufacturing Day 2015 tour

More than a third of young people studying for vocational and technical careers have no contact with potential future employers before they graduate, and only 12 percent have seen the inside of a manufacturing facility.

That conclusion, from a 2016 study by the Manufacturing Institute, lends urgency to Manufacturing Day, an annual event designed to educate the public about modern U.S. manufacturing and to attract young people to this fundamental industry.

Manufacturing Day, or Mfg Day as it’s typically known, actually lasts more than a month in New Mexico. Sponsored by the nonprofit New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NM MEP), Manufacturing Day introduces students and job seekers to manufacturing careers by inviting them to tour factories and facilities where people make things. Continue reading

Economic Development Course Helps New Mexico Leaders Plan for Sustained Growth

Savannah Jermance

New Mexico communities that plan and prepare for economic development can avoid the chaotic impacts of runaway growth by training the elected officials, public employees and civic leaders who promote that change. A crash course in basic economic development from July 22-26, 2018, at Western New Mexico University in Silver City is a good place to start that training.

The course is one of several offered by the New Mexico-based International Academy for Economic Development that prepares students for certification by the International Economic Development Council. Continue reading

Signature Events a Year-Round Boon to NM Tourism and Commerce

Albuquerque Balloon FiestaBy Jason Gibbs

Big or small, signature events not only provide a burst of income for New Mexico municipalities, they make an impression that lasts throughout the year and keep tourists coming back.

From smaller communities like Carlsbad to the metros of Albuquerque and Las Cruces, annual events are a valuable tool when developing an image and showcasing regional attractions, leaving guests with a positive impression and encouraging return visits outside the week or two the event is in play. Continue reading

Internet Purchases Challenge Local Budgets

By Finance New Mexico

As budget-conscious consumers increasingly opt for the convenience and economy of online shopping, states like New Mexico are ramping up pressure on internet-based retailers to collect and remit the taxes states need to provide essential services.

While Amazon.com recently agreed to charge New Mexico consumers the state portion of the gross receipts tax (GRT), more change is needed to erase what states see as an unfair advantage for online retailers over local merchants who are required to collect and remit the entire combination of state and local taxes. Continue reading

Rio Rancho Leverages Its Library To Grow Small Businesses

Loma Colorado Library Rio Rancho NMBy Finance New Mexico

Aspiring entrepreneurs won’t be shushed at the Loma Colorado Library in Rio Rancho on Watercooler Wednesdays. The City of Rio Rancho aims to create dialogue at its main library and bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and the resources that can help them.

Watercooler Wednesdays are part of the GrowIt!@RRPL initiative launched in January by the city as part of its economic development efforts to create a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem. Continue reading

Loan Enables Investment in Vintage Motel, Local Economy

Mike Pogue, Debbie Pogue

Mike and Debbie Pogue

By Sandy Nelson and Taura Costidis for Finance New Mexico

Mike Pogue couldn’t stand the idea of strangers buying the family business, which had been in operation since 1959. His father, Bill, who flew B-17G bombers during World War II, met his mother, Elaine, at Otto Intermediate Landing Field 73A, a little airway space a few miles north of Moriarty, where she worked as a weatherperson and air traffic controller. The family spent a decade building the 18-unit Moriarty motel by hand, brick by brick.

When Bill died and Elaine put the Sunset Motel on the market in 1974, Pogue approached the realtor with an offer. “Mom came back to the family and she said ‘We’ve got an offer, and I want to take it,’” said Pogue. “And then the realtor said ‘By the way, it’s your son.’ So everybody was thrilled.” Continue reading

Return on LEDA Investment Enriches NM Economy

LEDABy Finance New Mexico

For evidence of the Local Economic Development Act (LEDA)’s power to stimulate the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, New Mexico residents need look no further than the massive industrial building at 2600 Camino Entrada in Santa Fe.

The former home of CleanAIR Systems and Caterpillar Inc. is now the world headquarters for Meow Wolf Inc., a leader in the vibrant “experience economy” that expects to employ as many as 360 highly skilled workers over the next five years. Continue reading

New Mexico Communities Building On-Ramps to Information Superhighway

New Mexico broadband; photo illustration by Taura Costidis/FNMBy Finance New Mexico

Just as public utilities and the interstate highway system made New Mexico more accessible and habitable over the past century, the internet — today’s information superhighway — is what links the state’s entrepreneurs with potential customers and partners around the world.

In a state with far-flung rural villages and growing urban hubs, such infrastructure enhancements as fast and reliable internet service determine whether residents are isolated or engaged and whether enough taxable revenue can be generated through economic development to improve public safety and community amenities. Continue reading

Manufacturers Reach Future Workers, Customers Through Mfg Day

Glass-Rite Mfg Day 2016 tour

Manufacturing Day 2016 tour at Glass-Rite; photo by Jane Phillips Photography

By Damon Scott for Finance New Mexico

October 2017 marks the third year that Albuquerque-based window and door manufacturer Glass-Rite is participating in Manufacturing Day, a nationwide celebration of manufacturing and its impact on local economies.

“People want to see the manufacturing facility, so we walk them through it and try to have all the equipment operating — our automated glasscutter, frame welder — it’s what people are interested in,” said Steve Hoberg, vice president of sales and public relations for the company that employs about 30 workers. Continue reading

Making Manufacturers: Events Aim to Inspire Next-Generation Workers

By Sandy Nelson for Finance New Mexico

Young people can be hard to impress, but students from Albuquerque’s Academy of Trades and Technology (ATTHS) charter school were visibly stoked by a tour of Rader Awning during 2016 Manufacturing Day events.

ATTHS students during Manufacturing Day 2016 tours at Rader Awning (left, center) and OGB Architectural Millwork; photos Jane Phillips Photography

Before-and-after shots of the 15 ATTHS students who visited the factory where Rader manufactures awnings, shade panels and fabric products illustrate what can happen when young adults get a close look at the world of manufacturing: a transformation from bored detachment to delighted engagement. Continue reading