Old town, new ideas

New Mexico Business Journal, Nov, 2000 by Emily Van Cleve

Las Vegas is intent on preserving its traditions while attracting new industry at the same time.

A group of boarded-up businesses surrounding the Las Vegas plaza are a constant reminder of past hard economic times in San Miguel County's largest city. But situated close to the plaza's historic Plaza Hotel is a collection of thriving specialty stores. Beautifully renovated inside and out, these businesses represent Las Vegas' present and future. Las Vegas is an old community filled with glorious Victorian homes and old adobes. The city's rich history was first documented nearly 400 years ago. With the arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1897 came tremendous growth and development. More than 900 buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Residents and community leaders have been restoring the old to keep the character of the city while gently bringing it into the 21st century.

Las Vegas' population is 16,500 and slowly growing. City leaders are aggressively, but carefully, courting new businesses to the area to help find jobs for the county's 7.4 percent unemployed population. Las Vegas City Manager Jack Maes grew up in the area and is keenly aware of the region's delicate water supply. He has been working hard to attract clean businesses and industries that offer good jobs with minimal environmental impact.

One of the most exciting new businesses to move into Las Vegas is The Connection, a company based in Minneapolis that will locate its new facility in the Mills Plaza Shopping Center. The Connection is an inbound call center with a variety of clients in areas such as retail and financial services. The company, which will be employing 400 people, has already hired the management team--all from within the Las Vegas area--and is paying them $25,000 to $40,000 salaries plus benefits. Other employees will earn $7 to $8 per hour and receive full benefits. Maes expects the company to generate a payroll of $6 to $9 million in salary and benefits annually.

"The Connection's arrival in Las Vegas is a result of a partnership with the State Economic Development Office, Highlands University, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Centinel Bank," Maes says. "The company is looking for people with basic skills. Welfare to work clients who are interested in these jobs will first receive training at Highlands and then at The Connection itself. We're very excited about the company's move to the area. This is the largest private business to move into Las Vegas. It represents our interest in diversifying the economy."

In order to serve The Connection's telecommunication needs, Qwest Communications (former US West) is bringing in five T1 lines to the company. Qwest will also be installing T1 lines at Luna Vocational Technical Institute as part of a $400,000 underground infrastructure project that will create a unified network of underground utilities on the campus.

Luna Vocational Technical Institute is an important partner in Las Vegas' growing high-tech economy. It prepares workers for 21st century jobs by offering training in business and professional studies, science, trades and technology, applied health and early childhood education. The school's Small Business Development Center provides free counseling, training and resource material to the small business community. The school is expanding its facilities by building a $2.6 million Instructional Program Center to house its nursing, dental assistant and medical technology programs. A new Early Childhood Center is also in the works. This $700,00 building, now under construction, will replace an existing center.

A new Economic Development Center at Highlands University will offer small business management preparation, international trade instruction, non-profit management development, a business and economic survey center and a program to promote new business in Northern New Mexico. The university, which offers a variety of bachelor's and master's degree programs, received $850,000 from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration last June to begin construction on the center. A date of completion is not yet set. Highlands' new $23 million Science and Technology Center might begin construction as early as next year.

Growth in the area of high technology complements the city's economic development that is already in place. Dee Bibb Industrial Park is a 42-acre development adjacent to I-25 designed to accommodate light manufacturing industry. Las Vegas Medical Center continues to be the area's largest single employer with 977 employees and biweekly salaries that pour $1.3 million into the community. Public and private elementary through post-secondary schools employ 1,200 people.

Tourism is an important part of the Las Vegas economy. Retail stores and restaurants lining and surrounding the plaza greatly depend on the tourist industry for their survival and growth. Since Las Vegas hosts very few conventions, the city's 16 motels and hotels depend on tourist traffic to support their businesses.