Columbus
Albuquerque Business First
Lovelace Women's Hospital names COO
Lovelace Health System has named Sherry Aragon as its new chief operating officer of Lovelace Women’s Hospital, according to a June 24 news release.<\p> Aragon has more than 20 years of health care leadership experience. She’s been with Lovelace since 2004, when she became director of diagnostic services for Lovelace’s Heart Hospital of New Mexico.<\p>
It was a dump site. Soon, it will be a community wellness center
A little less than two decades ago, it was a dump site. Now, a South Valley-based nonprofit is trying to make it a center for community-based agriculture, education and cultural celebration.<\p> The narrow plot, located just east of Ernie Pyle Middle School at 1925 Citation Drive SW, is relatively benign on the surface. A greenhouse and a couple hoop houses dot it, but its mostly comprised of empty dirt and shrubbery, along with a little stream.<\p>
Evacuations lift, FBI offers $10K reward on fires
Evacuation orders for the South Fork and Salt fires, which continue to burn thousands of acres around the Village of Ruidoso, the City of Ruidoso Downs and the Mescalero Apache Reservation, lifted on Monday, clearing the way for local residents to return to their homes and businesses in the Southeastern New Mexico mountains. <\p> The pair of fires, which originated on the Mescalero Apache Reservation south and west of Ruidoso on June 17, forced evacuation orders for the Village, the Mescalero Apache Reservation and residents in surrounding areas the next day. Thousands of evacuees fled west and east, sheltering in and around Alamogordo, Capitan, Roswell and other areas clear of the fires' path. <\p>
$14M commercial building permit issued last week
The City of Albuquerque issued 16 commercial building permits between June 17 and June 21.<\p> The permit for the largest project in terms of estimated cost was issued on June 21 to Adam Gromer for multiple family buildings at 6700 Modesto Ave. NE. The project is estimated to be about 16,686 square feet. The estimated cost of the work is about $14,000,000. The work will be done by Kassam Construction LLC.<\p>
The Playbook: The disconnect on vacation is getting better
Editor's Note: Welcome to The Playbook Edition, a look at stories, trends and changes that could affect your business and career. Want more stories like this in your inbox? Sign up for The Playbook newsletter. <\p> While many organizations have embraced hybrid work, there’s a chance it may not be the best option for certain groups of workers. <\p>
Rust Is Gold Coffee giving T-shirt proceeds to Ruidoso families
Back in 2022, the worst wildfire in New Mexico's history burnt Steven Maes' family cabin in Mora County to the ground.<\p> Maes, the co-owner of Albuquerque's Rust Is Gold Coffee, knew he was far from the only one affected by the disaster. His father, especially, had deep ties to the affected area and knew seemingly countless families that needed help in its aftermath. <\p>
IRS announces when payments on ERC claims will resume
The Internal Revenue Service plans to deny tens of thousands of improper Employee Retention Credit applications even as it promises to renew processing legitimate claims.<\p> The agency in an announcement this week said it had taken the time since its Sept. 14 moratorium on processing new ERC applications to analyze the more than 1 million ERC claims filed in 2023 — and found that between 60% and 70% showed an unacceptable level of risk.<\p>
CNM names workforce VP
Central New Mexico Community College has officially named its vice president of the Workforce and Community Success Division. <\p> The college announced Thursday that Joy Forehand, who has served as the interim chief of that division since fall 2023, will now oversee operations permanently, effective July 1. She started with CNM in 2022 as the executive director of Student Workforce Success. <\p>
What's next in the NAR commission lawsuit settlement?
Some big deadlines are on the horizon for the class-action lawsuits that swept the residential real estate industry over the past year. <\p> The conclusion of these lawsuits could bring about significant changes to how homes are bought and sold beginning in the later part of 2024.<\p>
Project aims to end homelessness, but needs donations to expand
After a year of delays, work continues on a housing site on Albuquerque's Westside for families experiencing homelessness.<\p> Local nonprofit Saranam, which provides rent-free housing for up to two years for families as well as academic and life skills education, broke ground on its new facility at 4701 Montaño Road NW in February 2022. The initial plan was to open in 2023, but the project faced supply chain and labor issues that have continued to push the timeline back, according to Tracy Weaver, the executive director of Saranam.<\p>
Less than 10% of office stock in major metros considered 'prime' space
Less than 10% of the office space across some of the nation's major metropolitan markets is considered "prime" real estate, the type of property today's tenants prefer.<\p> A recent analysis by CBRE Group Inc. (NYSE: CBRE), the findings of which were shared first with The Business Journals, found 830 buildings across 57 cities analyzed could be categorized as "prime" properties, representing 8% of all office square footage in those markets. Although the definition of "prime" can vary by market, sometimes dramatically, the analysis set out to identify the highest-quality buildings in each city and examine how that segment of the market is performing relative to the broader office sector.<\p>
Sunport adds new carrier
The Albuquerque International Sunport can now count Sun Country Airlines among its carriers, with the airline officially introducing a Minneapolis route on Wednesday.<\p> The route, originally reported by Business First in October 2023, will run biweekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Sun Country, a regional, low-cost airline headquartered in Minneapolis, marks the Sunport's eighth carrier, alongside Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Advanced Air and JetBlue.<\p>
Goodwill to open new ABQ location
Goodwill Industries of New Mexico is opening its 19th location in the Land of Enchantment this summer.<\p> The new store and services center is located at 12521 Montgomery Blvd. NE. The 34,500-square-foot space will offer retail and career programs such as Jumpstart, which collaborates with Title I schools to help youth enter the workforce, and GoodJobs, which provides employment services and training to individuals seeking work. <\p>
What's ahead for New Mexico's energy transition?
As New Mexico continues to march forward on its energy transition, fueled by new companies, innovative industries and evolving regulations, a trio of experts spent the morning on June 13 discussing the present and future of the state's energy ecosystem, and what's at play in that ongoing transition. <\p> Last week, Albuquerque Business First hosted its Energy Outlook panel at Sandia Golf Club. It featured a panel with three industry and regulatory energy leaders in New Mexico, those being:<\p>
Demolition starts on American Home Furniture flagship
The end has arrived for American Home Furniture’s former flagship store on Menaul Boulevard.<\p> Albuquerque-based Guzman Construction Services began demolishing the building on June 11, Jeffrey Jesionowski, president of Aim Management Corp., said in an email statement. The site, which housed American Home for over 60 years, is located at 3535 Menaul Blvd NE. <\p>
ABQ company nabs pair of Navy rocket contracts
— This story was updated Thursday with additional contract details from X-Bow CEO Jason Hundley.<\p> X-Bow Systems Inc. said Tuesday the U.S. Navy awarded it a pair of rocket development contracts, following a few other big-dollar government contracts awarded to the Albuquerque company over the past year. <\p>
Ruidoso wildfires continue to grow
Around 14,000 acres and 500 structures have been burned near Ruidoso by a growing wildfire that began Monday morning.<\p> Currently referred to as South Fork Fire, 0% is contained as of Tuesday afternoon and the entirely of the Village of Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs and other nearby communities have been ordered to evacuate. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a State of Emergency and has permitted the deployment of the New Mexico National Guard to the affected area.<\p>
Nonprofit leader lands at WESST
The former executive director of Albuquerque-based Paws and Stripes, which pairs veterans with service dogs while providing mental health resources, has landed at another New Mexico nonprofit. <\p> Lindsey Kay, who founded Paws and Stripes in 2010, officially stepped away in May. She now joins the team at WESST as its vice president of client services. While the news was released today, she assumed her new role on May 15. <\p>
Dion's, Chase, Raising Cane's expand; American Home adds patio
Several major businesses have recently announced expansions in the Southwest, with one aiming to provide new products to its clientele. Here's the latest retail and restaurant news. <\p> On June 12, Dion's opened its first location in El Paso. The 5,000-square-foot restaurant is located at 7484 Paseo del Norte Blvd.<\p>
Major landlords targeted by class-action lawsuits over pricing
Several major apartment landlords from across the country are under fire over rental rates — allegations that have spawned a wave of class-action lawsuits and garnered the attention of state and federal authorities. <\p> The lawsuits have high-stakes for the apartment market and beyond, with potential to shape how pricing software could be utilized in multiple industries. <\p>
Albuquerque Business First
3K+
Posts
1M+
Views
New Mexico's source for local business news, breaking news alerts, newsletters, business intelligence and local business networking. An American City Business Journals publication.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.