New Mexico Minority Business Development Agency Opens Two New Business Centers
ALBUQUERQUE – The New Mexico Minority Business Development Agency (NM MBDA) opened two new Business Centers, situated in Las Cruces and Las Vegas. The Las Cruces Center secured funding through a Congressional allocation of $200,000, sponsored by Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Center commenced operations with the assistance of a federal supplemental grant from the Minority Business Development Agency, amounting to $183,000. This federal grant was contingent upon a funding match of $20,333 from the City of Albuquerque.
The newly established NM MBDA centers will provide an array of resources aimed at supporting minority-owned businesses. These resources include complimentary consulting services, informative business development webinars, assistance in connecting business owners with loan opportunities, and facilitating access to procurement and bid opportunities.
The Regional Business Centers will expand on the success generated from the NM MBDA Business Center in Albuquerque. From 2022 to 2023, the Albuquerque Business Center facilitated the generation of $62,916,444 in gross revenue and the creation of 2,808 new jobs.
“We are committed to helping business owners thrive throughout New Mexico,” said Center Director Gabriela Marques. “We are grateful for the support from our many partners as we continue to expand our services and help businesses succeed not just here in Albuquerque, but across our state.”
In 2020, the City of Albuquerque assumed the operation of the NM MBDA. As stipulated in the operating charter, the City is tasked with ensuring the availability of services statewide. The recent grant funding bolsters the City's ability to honor this commitment. Additionally, the funds will positively impact local businesses across the state, and especially in Las Vegas as recovery from the wildfires continues, providing them with vital services and resources.
"Assisting local business owners affected by recent wildfires is not just a necessity, but our ethical responsibility,” said Business Advisor Gloria Ortiz. “These entrepreneurs are the backbone of our community, and we must provide them with the support and resources they need to rebuild and thrive.”
The Business Centers will collaborate with existing organizations to augment ongoing efforts. In the Las Cruces Business Center, Business Advisor Candle Baca will partner with existing organizations like WESST to significantly expand the pool of resources to clients in need.
"We can play a pivotal role in bridging service disparities and extending our support to an even broader reach of business owners," said Baca.
Services offered by NM MBDA Business Centers cater to companies of all sizes. Bilingual staff members are available in both the Las Vegas and Albuquerque Business Centers. Any training sessions or webinars held by the Las Vegas or Las Cruces operation will be available to business owners in any community including Albuquerque. Additionally, Albuquerque-based business owners will have the opportunity to be selected as vendors for the training sessions conducted by the NM MBDA in the new Business Centers.
The Las Vegas NM MBDA Business Center is situated at 366 Luna Drive, while the Las Cruces NM MBDA Business Center is located at 277 E Amador Ave, Suite 275. The Albuquerque NM MBDA Business Center is housed within the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce Barelas Economic Opportunity Center located at 1309 4th St. SW. For further information visit nmmbda.com.