WDGC at Southern New Mexico Familiarization Tour

Event

New Mexico Partnership, a statewide partnership of local and regional economic development groups, held the familiarization event in Ruidoso, NM. The focus was on communities from southern New Mexico, their economic development efforts, assets, and target industries. Over 30 municipalities attended, and WDGC was represented by Pete Mohan, one of three consultants speaking at the event.
Between economic development “speed dating” rounds with each of the communities, and speaking on a Q&A panel, there was therefore an especially robust exchange of knowledge at the event. Communities that usually never get to interface with site selection consultants had the opportunity to sell themselves directly to site selectors. The consultants benefitted from the event by learning about unique and undiscovered areas ripe for new investment.

Communities

The myriad New Mexico economic development agencies presented some especially intriguing options for future site selection efforts. Albuquerque bedroom communities to the south, such as Los Lunas, offer opportunities for office, technology, data centers, and advanced manufacturing. Larger communities in southern NM like Las Cruces and Santa Teresa/Sunland Park (northern suburbs of El Paso, TX) are good fits for large logistics projects. Agriculture, food processing, distribution, tourism and retail are all especially relevant industries in smaller southern New Mexico communities.

Overall, there is a great diversity of economic development assets and uniquely suited opportunities for niche projects, or companies looking to grow slowly without much competition. Southern New Mexico is definitely ripe for some game-changing projects. In conclusion, many communities have well positioned assets, and it will be interesting to see these areas grow over the next decade.

 

About WDGC Economic Development Services

WDGC can assist any community in the process of aligning your community’s assets with the appropriate target industries. Economic development strategy is often misguided when not fully engaging in a data-driven process. Contact us today to, finally, begin building a custom strategy for your region or municipality. Learn More.