Small towns

New Mexico Business Journal, Dec, 1995

The county has established the Sierra Business Park, an 84-acre park targeting medical facilities, telecommunications companies and business complexes.

Located on a broad plateau at the intersection of U.S. Highways 380 and 54, Carrizozo is a picturesque community. Surrounded by a mountain panorama to the east and west, the city is just 30 minutes away from attractions such as Ruidoso Downs and Ski Apache.

Now striving for orderly, well-planned growth, the city is home to the 54-acre Carrizozo Industrial Park.

Central

The Albuquerque area has experienced unprecedented growth in both population, new businesses and job growth. Four nearby communities - Moriarty, Socorro, Grants and Los Lunas - offer alternatives to the metropolitan lifestyle through rural living.

Just 30 minutes east of Albuquerque lies the quaint city of Moriarty, the largest community in Torrance County. The railroad was established in 1903 and continues to serve as a vital link to the area's economy. Nearby attractions such as the Sandia and Manzano mountains and the historical Quarai and Gran Quivira mission churches attract thousands of tourists each year.

The 40-acre Moriarty Industrial Park is home to several new and expanding industries.

Socorro, one hour south of Albuquerque, is a city of contrasts where the past and the future meet. One of the oldest cities in New Mexico, it was home to Spanish explorers in the late 1500s.

Present-day Socorro is the location of one of the top technical universities in the nation, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. A 640-acre industrial park - one of two in the community - is adjacent to the university and targets chemical/explosives industries, companies seeking sites for field laboratories and centers for environmentally sensitive research and development. The second park, Socorro Industrial Park, lies along Interstate 25 and is comprised of 40 acres just four miles from the airport.

The community of Grants was once the uranium mining capital of the world. The town hit boom times in the early 1940s with the discovery of oil and then with the discovery of uranium in 1950.

Although most mining activities have diminished, the community is thriving and many new businesses are starting up or moving to the area. The Greater Grants Industrial Park, a 55-acre development, is designed to be a high quality, attractive park for manufacturing, processing, research and development and other similar enterprises.

The village of Los Lunas has evolved into a progressive community with a modern vision. It is progressive in supporting local businesses to grow and improve. New additions to the business community include K-Bob's restaurant, which will also be locating its corporate headquarters in Los Lunas in the next year, and two new banks.

The Village has a private industrial park, the 500 acre Los Morros Industrial Park, owned by Huning Land Trust.

Southeastern New Mexico

The region's eight communities - Artesia, Carlsbad, Clovis, Hobbs, Lovington, Portales, Roswell and Tucumcari - like no others in the state are oriented to business and industry. The pro-industry orientation encourages diverse economic development. Although traditionally known for oil and gas production and refining, mining and agriculture, the area has attracted various new business interests. Recent industrial newcomers to the region include electronics, food processing, dairies, cheese plants, telemarketing and manufacturing companies. The region has also become the home for major federal installations: Cannon Air Force Base, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.