News

Facebook's data center in Los Lunas is looking to the double in size. The operation, which stores data for Facebook's social media sites such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, opened in early 2019. It currently comprises three fully-operational buildings, a fourth due to come online shortly, and two more currently under construction. Under this new proposal, the center could expand by a total of six new additional buildings, with plans to build two by 2023. Through its...

“It’s the COVID effect,” Duran said [Stephanie Duran, an associate broker with Barker Realty]. “People have been realizing they don’t need to be at the office. They can live anywhere. At the same time, they are fleeing higher density. Instead of just retiring to Santa Fe, they can live in Santa Fe now instead of having a multidecade dream of living here.” Demand for homes in Santa Fe continues at a fast pace, drawing homebuyers from...

Business editor Teya Vitu reports that construction is booming in Santa Fe. Seventeen apartment projects and a 68-unit independent living center have been recently completed or under construction. Between January and November 2020, 281 building permits for single-family dwellings were pulled. Construction activity and related job growth have ranked Santa Fe in or near the top ten among the nation's 358 metropolitan areas. Read the full article on the New Mexican....

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="365"] Recently constructed, SpinLaunch's 10,000 square foot Integration Facility and Mission Control at Spaceport America[/caption] A company that is developing and testing a mass accelerator with the aim of launching satellites into space orbit, using kinetic energy instead of rockets, is expanding at New Mexico’s Spaceport America, Cabinet Secretary Alicia J. Keyes announced today. SpinLaunch signed a lease at Spaceport America in 2019 and has since invested in test facilities and an integration facility....

Pledges $1 Billion Investment and Additional 1,000 Jobs Today, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller together with Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos announced that Netflix, the world’s leading internet entertainment service, plans to boost its presence in the state by expanding ABQ Studios and committing to an additional $1 billion in production spend. The expansion will add 300 acres to the company’s existing space at ABQ Studios, located in Albuquerque’s Mesa Del Sol...

The Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce hosts the 5th Annual Women’s Leadership Luncheon this month. The virtual event will gather, support, and celebrate New Mexico’s inspiring women entrepreneurs throughout November. The remarkably apt theme this year is agility. The combined weight of personal and professional challenges during the pandemic has fallen especially heavily on the shoulders of women. Women have experienced job losses at a higher rate than men during 2020. "Women-owned businesses are also struggling,"...

The New Mexico MainStreet (NMMS) program announced today that six districts are using ‘Cash Mob’ virtual events to support local businesses during the pandemic and upcoming holiday season. Events are hosted on Facebook Live where participants bid on items, arrange payment and socialize during the fun two-hour session. Lively hosts entertain and educate as they sell items and encourage viewers to shop locally to contribute to their communities. This year, ‘Cash Mob’ has helped businesses...

The State of New Mexico's Job Training Incentive Program (JTIP) Board has awarded 18 companies with over $5.5 million during September and October 2020, in support of 803 new jobs, Economic Development Department Cabinet Secretary Alicia J. Keyes announced today The September awards totaled $3.6 million for 672 trainees and 1 intern, with another $1.9 million for 129 trainees and 1 intern awarded in October. Average salaries for trainees ranged from $11.62 to $69.71 per hour, with...

A recent Economist article titled "Countering the Tyranny of the Clock" explores our changing relations to time as work becomes more flexible. A little philosophical? In fact, it's super pragmatic! "Flexible working existed well before the pandemic. But it only offered employees the ability to choose when in the day they worked their allotted hours," writes Bartleby. "Remote working has brought a greater degree of freedom." Rather than an unraveling of work ethic when work is removed...

This month, Albuquerque is hosting the 2020 ESHIP Summit, a gathering of "entrepreneurial ecosystem builders – leaders connecting communities together to accelerate entrepreneurship – who seek to build more inclusive, sustainable local economies." This systems approach to fostering economic vibrancy connects people, resources, and institutions to foster collaborative growth and innovation. “During the ESHIP Summit, we are featuring a round table of five ecosystem leaders from Albuquerque to tell the story of the development of the...

Congratulations to Albuquerque small businesses! According to a recent study conducted by e-commerce company Square, Albuquerque's Main Street businesses ranked Number 1 in increased rate of e-commerce adoption following the COVID-19 outbreak. The ranking signals Albuquerque businesses' agility and grit. "We’re inspired every day by the ingenuity of small businesses in the face of a rapidly evolving environment," writes Square. "They’re pivoting business models, building online operations in days, and even selling completely new products to...

Can you make money and follow your dreams? Yes! A recent article at Entrepreneur posits a framework for deciding if you might be able to turn your hobby into a business. The piece (very reasonably) revolves around the potential for monetization. "Even if you’re pursuing this mostly because of your passion," writes SEO.co CRO Timothy Carter, "you’ll still need a stream of income to offset your costs and keep the business running." Uncontroversial! Carter suggests the following...

The most up-to-date economic information for the State of New Mexico, including all 33 counties, is now available on the Economic Development Department website. The County Reports project is an initiative by the EDD to offer more comprehensive data about spending, unemployment, and wages to local communities, Cabinet Secretary Alicia J. Keyes said. The most recent data covers the last three months of fiscal year 2020 – April, May, and June. The reports are available here. “We know this...

The New Mexico Economic Development Department released this statement today concerning new guidelines and deadlines for Paycheck Protection Program loans: Economic Development Cabinet Secretary Alicia J. Keyes announced that new forgiveness and flexibility rules for the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will benefit more New Mexico businesses and she is urging those who have not yet applied to take another look at the program. With the PPP deadline for loan funding on June 30, there are...

COVID-19 and related restrictions have made it necessary for many business owners and commercial landlords to evaluate options and create some measure of flexibility. "These discussions require both sides to assess a variety circumstances and issues, many of which are in a state of flux due to the uncertainty of COVID-19," cautions real estate and finance attorney Steve Ostrow. He outlines some short-term options: Rent Relief: Deferral versus abatement of base rent only or all rent...