Roswell, New Mexico - A New Mexico Business Journal Special Profile - October 1990

New Mexico Business Journal, Oct, 1990 by Denise Zendel

ROSWELL New Mexico

ROSWELL RESIDENTS HAVE always dreamed big - from the pioneers who saw what the city could become, to today's pioneers who keep the dream alive as they lead the city into the future.

In 1863, when Van Smith sat on the Caprock overlooking this part of the state, he envisioned a gambling, railroad and cattle mecca. The gambling mecca never materialized, but the area did boom with cattle and railroad traffic.

Roswell, the city Smith named after his father so it could have a post office, is blessed with an entrepreneurial spirit which has filtered through generations, making it a success in the face of adversity that would cause other cities to fold up and die.

When civic leaders look 20 years ahead, they see Roswell with an international airport, a four-year college, an interstate highway and an aircraft manufacturing plant, as well as cultural and leisure activities to appeal to a burgeoning population.

When he speculates on what Roswell will be like in the year 2010, five-time Mayor William F. Brainerd sees continued residential growth in the north and west sectors of the city and a start on filling in between the city proper and the Roswell Industrial Air Center, former home of Walker Air Force Base.

"In the next 10 years, we'll see considerable development in both areas," he says.

Brainerd also expects the city to have a public transit system, which will utilize buses from Transportation Manufacturing Corp., Roswell's largest employer. TMC's presence here makes the city the bus manufacturing capital of North America.

The mayor says the four-lane U.S. Highway 70 will pass from Amarillo, Texas, through Roswell to Las Cruces, "which will greatly enhance our transportation capabilities."

Steve Massey, executive director of the Southeastern New Mexico Economic Development District (SENMEDD) agrees, adding that once the highway is a reality, it will get rid of the major transportation problems Roswell has had.

In addition to the public transportation system, City Manager Ralph Fresquez expects continued development and improvement to the central business district, with additional professional and financial institutions locating downtown.

Fresquez believes there will be continued emphasis on leisure time activities and the beautification of Roswell. City ordinances already require landscaping of new commercial properties and Fresquez has plans for landscaping medians, which he thinks will be put in place in the next few years.

"We have and will maintain a significant park system, with hike and bike path corridors that cross the city and link up to public facilities such as the Wool Bowl (an athletic complex on the city's main thoroughfare)," Fresquez says. "We will continue to provide a quality of life that attracts all ages, especially retired people."

The city manager thinks the population base may be between 90,000 to 95,000 in natural growth, which could be exceeded by the attraction of large industrial employers, such as an aircraft manufacturer and aircraft refitting and rebuilding concern.

J.J. Johnston, executive director of the Roswell Chamber of Commerce, speculates the city will be significantly more developed. He sees the RIAC becoming an international airport with worldwide shipment of food, animal products and industrial supplies going out and all types of international products coming in.

The air center will also become a way port, handling burgeoning aircraft travel from major airports, he says.

Johnston, who is a certified industrial developer, certified economic developer and director of economic development for a partnership of the city, Chaves County and chamber, feels Roswell will become a center for major food processors like green chili peppers and other crops, as well as a center for research and development of new fuels.

He projects that in 20 years, Roswell will become a metropolitan statistical area and will have a good chance of becoming the state's third largest city.

Eileen Mintier, director of the chamber's Retirement Services Division, is one of the people responsible for attracting retirees, who make up almost 20 percent of the city's population, to Roswell.

She envisions a steady growth of retirees into the community in the next 20 years.

"States are perking up because they know retirees mean a lot of business," she says.

Retirees have a great deal of discretionary income and spend it locally, and that translates into economic growth and job creation, according to Mintier.

"We'll see more utilization of retirees' job experience to help some of our local businesses and keep the city on the move," she says.

Since November 1986, when Mintier took over the retirement services program, home sales to retirees total almost $15 million. The chamber has received 30,000 requests for more information and has sold 1,000 videos which promote Roswell and southeastern New Mexico.

Mintier says 451 retiree households have relocated here as a result of the program, bringing with them a total of $11 million in new spendable income per year and adding to the economic base already provided by established retirees.