HCCLC Trade Mission Day
More than 130 Las Cruces business owners, city officials, investors and economic developers met with a delegation of more than 40 Mexican nationals interested in starting new businesses or forming strategic business partnerships during the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces Foreign Investment Trade Mission on March 18, at the Las Cruces Convention Center.
The day, officially proclaimed as “Trade Mission Day” by the City of Las Cruces, was designed to spur economic development and future job creation by bringing foreign investors to the area to explore business expansion and joint-venture opportunities
in Las Cruces.
“Our inaugural trade mission was a great success,” said Peter Ibarbo, Hispano Chamber board member and chair of the chamber’s Economic Development Committee. “With the strong support of our city and our local industry partners, we were able to showcase the economic potential of our region to foreign investors and in the process many significant and lasting partnerships were formed with local businesspeople and our Mexican counterparts.”
The investment delegation was welcomed by John Muñoz, president of the Hispano Chamber, and Ken Miyagishima, Mayor of Las Cruces. Also speaking at the welcome lunch and representing the area’s economic development organizations were Randy Trask, director of the New Mexico Economic Development Department Office of Mexican Affairs; Margie Huerta, president of Doña Ana Community College and chair of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce; George Ruth, chair of the board for the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance and Christine Logan, economic development administrator for the City of Las Cruces.
“It is critical that our southern neighbors realize the potential of our area when making their future business expansion plans,” Muñoz said. “Some significant partnerships were made during our business-to-business sessions, and we expect any number of them to turn into valuable economic drivers in the form of future developments here in Las Cruces.”
The event concluded with a dinner open to the public, where keynote speaker U.S. Congressman Steve Pearce delivered a speech about his childhood in New Mexico. He spoke about growing up in a neighborhood that was rehabilitated by Mexican immigrant families who came to find a better life in the United States. He said the reputation of the Mexican people for their hard work, strong family values and business acumen is a great basis for the two respective sides of the border to create and share new business partnerships. He welcomed the delegation and encouraged them to invest in the State of New Mexico.
Similar welcoming messages were delivered by U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Jeff Bingaman, delivered by their local field representatives, Marco Grajeda and Dara Parker, respectively.
The dinner was capped with a speech made by Jose Luis Mauricio, founder of La Red, an organization of more than 400 Mexican business owners who have relocated or expanded their businesses to the United States, mostly in the El Paso area.
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