Greater Gallup EDC Works to Make Every Week Economic Development Week
May 7, 2021
The sixth annual National Economic Development Week is May 9-15, 2021. National Economic Development Week (EDW) was created in 2016 by the International Economic Development Council — the largest professional membership organization for economic developers — to recognize the unique role that economic development has in creating flourishing communities with strong economies.
Greater Gallup Economic Development Corporation (GGEDC) is taking this time to reflect on the impact their office has made on the economic development of their vibrant New Mexico community, even during the pandemic. GGEDC also has a host of activities planned.
EDW Event Highlights:
- Cabinet Secretary Alicia Keyes, NM Economic Development Department, will visit with several McKinley County economic-Base employers. She also is keynote speaker at the GGEDC Annual Business Retention and Expansion Luncheon. McKinley Paper Company, the featured guest, will also receive an economic development award.
- Daily economic development-themed articles will run in The Gallup Independent from: Greater Gallop Economic Development Corporation, Northwest NM Council of Governments, Gallup Business Improvement District, University of NM-Gallup Small Business Development Center, Gallup-McKinley County Chamber, and the City of Gallup Tourism and Marketing Department.
- Two virtual panel discussions: "The Gallup Mobility Hub: Next Steps", and "Gallup Entrepreneurs and Tourism" will livestream on GGEDC's Facebook page.
- Approved resolutions from the City of Gallup and McKinley County Commission declaring May 9-15 as “National Economic Development Week.”
Webinar Details:
- "The Gallup Mobility Hub: Next Steps'' Webinar - Wednesday, May 12th, 4 pm to 5:30 pm. GGEDC presents panelists Lois Yates and Adam Wasserman, Principles of GLD Partners, who wrote the New Mexico Mobility Strategy, and Jerry Valdez and Charles Remkes, the principal staff at NMDOT who helped draft and promote legislation that passed in the 2021 Legislative session to enable operation and testing of autonomous vehicles on New Mexico roads. The panel will discuss autonomous vehicle plans in New Mexico and Gallup.
- "Entrepreneurs and Tourism in Gallup" Webinar - Thursday, May 13th, 4 pm to 5:30 pm. GGEDC presents a panel discussion between executive directors Cyndi Jarvison, UNM-G SBDC, Rose Eason, gallupARTS, and Kara Smith, Gallup MainStreet, and Jennifer Lazarz, Manager, City of Gallup Marketing and Tourism Department. Panelists will highlight entrepreneurial and small business development opportunities in Gallup and new developments and opportunities in area and state tourism.
- Both webinars will be streamed live on GGEDC Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Nonprofit-Organization/Greater-Gallup-Economic-Development-Corporation-280310302073598/
GGEDC’s mission is to drive economic growth through building on local assets, and strategic partnering to target attraction and recruitment of business and industrial employers that provide economic-base jobs in the Gallup-McKinley County area.
Economic Accomplishment Highlights
- Workforce Development. GGEDC understands that to bring in business, you need a talent pipeline of qualified candidates. Greater Gallup Industrial Workforce Program is an employer-led program designed to give Gallup and McKinley County residents the skills they need to succeed in-demand jobs. This program was developed with strong support and buy-in from McKinley County Economic-Base Industries including: McKinley Paper Company, Marathon Petroleum, Peabody Energy, Advanced Technical Services, Four Corners Welding and Supply, Murphy Builders, Rhino Health, and from the Southwest Indian Foundation which provides the workforce/construction training facility. Participants complete a no-cost 10-week training program that involves classroom and hands-on training before being placed in an internship, pre-apprenticeship program, or long-term job.
- Business Attraction. GGEDC cast a wider net for business attraction when the Trans-Atlantic Business Council (TBIC) awarded the Foreign Direct Investment Qualified Community Certification for the purpose of promoting the Gallup-McKinley County market to foreign, specifically European, industries. The certification demonstrates the Greater Gallup area has the necessary education infrastructure, talent pool, community support and existing base of manufacturers to support new manufacturing.
- Supply Chain and Manufacturing Onshoring. Partly due to Gallup’s logistic systems and lower real estate prices, Rhino Health, LLC. chose it as the location for the first nitrile glove factory in the Southwest. Greater Gallup’s transportation strength is created by the over 15,000 trucks that pass through the area each day, in addition to the area’s significant rail activity.
- GIS Planning Site Selection Assistance. GGEDC supplies the GIS Planning tools business owners and entrepreneurs need to make expansion, relocation, and site selection decisions. GIS, or Geographic Information System, Planning is about gathering, managing, and analyzing data — integrating geographic information within layers of data into tables, graphs, and maps to make data more visually presentable. GIS reveals patterns, relationships, and situations, helping users make informed decisions. If planners need more specialized data, GGEDC is available to create customized proposals.
- Gallup Energy Logistics Park. Greater Gallup has been made even more attractive for business with public investments in infrastructure — such as Navajo Water Supply and US Highway 491 — that has led to the development of the investment-ready site, Gallup Energy Logistics Park: a 2,500-acre rail-served development. Within the Park is a 345-acre certified site by way of participation in the BNSF Railway Premier Sites Program. GGEDC is also currently helping to develop two additional industrial parks in McKinley County.
- Regional Economic Development Partners (REDP). This new alliance is between Greater Gallup EDC, Cibola Communities EDC, San Juan-Farmington ED, Four Corners ED, Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments, and Gallup Business Improvement District (BID). Regional Economic Development Partners’ innovative multiplayer collaboration combined with the National Development Council’s guidance concerning technical know-how and capital is leading to the development of major projects. GGEDC is working on the development of several industrial parks and has ongoing light industrial projects. Meanwhile, Gallup BID is working on several new development/construction projects: low-middle income housing, market-rate housing, a grocery store, and a boutique hotel in addition to ongoing improvements of existing downtown business district commercial buildings.
Greater Gallup Economic Development Corporation is Ready to Assist
GGEDC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2012, serving the City of Gallup and McKinley County. GGEDC is managed by Certified Economic Developers (CEcD), and governed by an eight-member board of directors with a combined business experience exceeding 250 years.
GGEDC works tirelessly to support entrepreneurs, small businesses, and industry. GGEDC focuses on business retention and expansion, leads workforce development, and assists with marketing and promotion to ensure the local community can achieve the highest quality of life possible. Reach out to GGEDC at (505)722-2980 or via email to see how we can help today!