Joseph H. Badal, Board Chair and President, NMSBIC
When avionics supplier Bendix/King and power grid connector Tres Amigas each selected New Mexico as their new administrative headquarters, the announcements represented the kind of economic development most regions aggressively seek. Bendix/King, a Honeywell subsidiary, is expected to create up to 100 new engineering and support jobs by the end of 2012. Tres Amigas, which plans to connect three regional power grids at their superstation in Clovis, will create 15-20 jobs in Clovis, 75 – 100 high-paying jobs at a new administrative office/control center in Albuquerque and untold jobs when it completes construction of a 15,000-to-20,000 square foot training center in Rio Rancho. All of these projects are examples of classic economic development: The jobs they create are new and originate outside the local area.