Chamber Chronicle February 2013 EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Bobby Shaw, Chair Bobby Shaw Realty Anne Dean, Past Chair Pop s Top Shop Manny Gomez, Secretary Hobbs Fire Department DIRECTORS Becky Bass Hobbs Jaycees Tommy Brooks ConocoPhillips Lindsay Chism Soaring Marke ng & Events Ruth Girón URENCO USA Tom Hart Halliburton Will Hawkins HMS Eagle Trust Founda on Sco y Holloman, Counsel Maddox, Holloman & Kirksey James Janecka GEO Group Denise Layton Soaring Society of America Hobbs Chamber mails 2013 s ckers, urges checking in The Hobbs Chamber mailed 2013 has on average 245 friends, according member s ckers to current members in to Pew Research, so when a patron January. If you did not receive yours, checks in, their friends know yours is a please contact us right away. place where they do business. It s word -of-mouth marke ng that is instantly The 2013 s cker features a quick response code (QR code) a black square generated on Facebook. Please encourage this consumer behavior by doing it -pa ern bar code on a white background. A smart-phone user with ac- yourself when you arrive at the loca on cess to the web can scan the QR code of a Hobbs Chamber member. See the with a downloadable QR code-reader Facebook profile of Grant Taylor (and app and go directly to the Hobbs Chamber s website without typing key ask to become a friend) to see examples. strokes into a naviga on bar. Make sure that you have created an The s cker also encourages customers to check in on Facebook as they ar- official loca on for your business, as well as create a Facebook page not a rive at your business. A Facebook user Facebook profile for your business. FISCAL YEAR 2012-2013 FIRM FOUNDATION CORPORATE SPONSORS Granite - $10,000 Lea County State Bank Windstream Zia Park Casino Marble - $5,000 Johnson, Miller & Co. URENCO USA Slate - $2,500 Bobby Shaw Realty Pop s Top Shop Sandstone - $1,250 Baja Broadband G&G Roofing Lea Regional Medical Center McVay Drilling The Color Printer Xcel Energy
Chamber News Lesser prairie chicken rally planned, Fish & Wildlife hearing to follow Congressman Steve Pearce will a end a rally in Roswell, New Mexico, to oppose the lis ng of the lesser prairie chicken under the Endangered Species Act. The rally will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 4:30 p.m. at the AVFlight Hangar (Formerly the Great Southwest Avia on Hangar). Immediately following the rally, Pearce will join the hundreds of concerned New Mexicans expected to a end the Fish and Wildlife public hearing at the ENMU Performing Arts Center at 6:30. Our jobs and our way of life in southern New Mexico are under a ack, said Pearce. The prairie chicken is yet another example of federal species regula- on not based on science, but rather driven by lawyers for extreme interest groups. I encourage New Mexicans to join me in Roswell on Feb. 12 to make our voices heard, and hold Washington accountable for the policies and regula ons that will affect our lives. Only if we speak up and stand together can we protect our jobs and our communi es. The BLM, NM department of Game and Fish, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and private en es, including the oil and gas industry, have been working to- Photo: Grant Taylor U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff, far le on stage, listen to public comments regarding the poten al endangered-species lis ng of the sage brush sand dune lizard in Roswell on April 28, 2011. The at-capacity venue le hundreds more standing outside. gether on the issue of protec ng the lesser prairie chicken. Lis ng the species has the poten al to jeopardize energy, farming, and ranching jobs in Southeast New Mexico, threaten future development of farm and ranch lands, and endanger alterna ve energy development in Eastern New Mexico, especially wind energy. Table: Hobbs average monthly GRT check in FY 2013 nearly $6 million so far
Chamber News Hobbs Chamber plans Find It in Hobbs Golf Tournament at Oco llo May 18 Golf fans, mark your calendars. The Hobbs Chamber of Commerce will present its second golf tournament in as many years on May 18. In 2012 Hobbs Chamber members enjoyed great weather, golf, prizes and giveaways during the OneHobbs Golf Tournament. In 2013, the Find It in Hobbs Golf Tournament, aligned with the Hobbs Chamber s latest coopera ve marke ng ini a ve, will offer new contests and new opportuni es to promote your business or have a great me playing golf with your fellow Hobbs Chamber members. For example, businesses can set up booths on selected holes of the course to showcase their wares and services a la Find It in Hobbs. Details, a sponsorship menu and registra on forms can be found in this issue of the Chamber Chronicle. Put your message and name in front of every golfer in the Find It in Hobbs Golf Tournament by adver- sing on this 8.5 -by-11 sheet that will go in the sign holder on every cart. See how sponsor form to register.
Hobbs Biz Leads January New and Revised Business Licenses A Touch of Magic 114 E. Taylor (575) 691-5176 Jimmie R. Gordon Barber (Master Barber) Aranda's Place 301 N. Dal Paso (432) 661-4179 Dalia Aranda Food To Go Baker Hughes, Inc. 707 N. Leech (575) 393-7751 Baker Hughes Oilfield Chemicals Brentwood Inn & Suites 5020 N. Lovington Hwy. (575) 392-2161 Pravinbhai Lad Hotel Caprock Consignment Company 1315 W. Marland Blvd. (575) 391-7543 Julian D. Lopez Oilfield Services/Sales Casa Oasis Realty 215 W. Broadway, Ste. 2 (575) 393-8058 Martha Thomas Real Estate Country Inn & Suites 5220 N. Lovington Hwy. (254) 744-1507 Balwantrai H. Patel and Jitesh B. Patel Hotel Davis Construc on, LLC 821 Desert Sage (575) 390-6826 Clayton Davis Contractor/Builder Designs by Jen 810 E. Walker (575) 915-8498 Jennifer Morales Cosmetologist ECK, LLC. 5419 N. Lovington Hwy. Ste. 29 (575) 392-6600 Kathleen Callaghan, M.D. and Elis Said, M.D. Medical Prac ce El Vira Fashion 219 N. Shipp (575) 318-8452 Elvira Maldonado Clothing Store Field of Family Fun 2602 N. Selman St. (575) 605-4398 Stephen Ray Lopez Family Entertainment Good Vibez Nutri on 808 N. Dal Paso (575) 691-6796 Laura Rendon-Navarre e Nutri on Club MAC Oilfield Services 319 W. Main (575) 605-1451 Kevin Pe es Cleaning Oilfield Tanks Maciolek School of Dance, Inc. 1849 N. Jefferson St. (575) 393-5880 Karen J. Salb Dance Instruc on Mar n Truck Services, Inc. 724 S. Grimes (575) 391-0168 Robin Mar n and Mark Stakely Trucking MECA Therapies, LLC 200 S. Fowler (575) 492-9505 Jeffery Flores and Roberta Mar nez-flores N.M. Early child Provider with N.M. Dept. of Health FIT Program Nabors Comple on & Produc on Services 3221 West County Rd. (575) 392-2577 Benny Baldwin Oilfield Transport Nabors Comple on & Produc on Services 5208 Lovington Hwy. (575) 392-6591 Ronnie M. Munoz Oilfield Services Nabors Comple on and Produc on Services 3311 W. County Rd. (575) 397-3144 Oilfield Tools Salud Es Vida 114 S. Turner (575) 602-7215 Ventura Rivera Harbalife Nutri on Tor lleria Del Pueblo 720 E. Main (575) 397-4109 Claudia Chafino Food, Tor llas Total Safety 1430 W. Bender Blvd. (575) 392-2973 Don Noble Safety Merchandise Undergrounds Coffee 3421 N. Grimes, Ste. 100 (575) 915-6842 John d. Ragsdal and Nickole R. Ragsdal Coffee, Tea and So Drink Beverages Viking Oil Tools 2814 North West County Rd. (575) 408-7685 Wes Heis Kell and Jay Gillis Oil and Gas Well Equipment and Personnel Willow 3409 N. Grimes (575) 390-4184 Laura Brewster Homemade Soaps, Lo ons and Cra s Source: Hobbs City Clerk s Office
Member News Asian fusion restaurant Pacific Rim to expand floor plan, offerings Pacific Rim - Asian Fusion Restaurant, a staple of Hobbs fine dining for the last eight years, announced this week plans for an upcoming expansion and renova on project, resul ng in the addi on of a sushi bar and lounge, which will include a full-service bar. Joe and Sara Yue, who created, designed and have operated the successful eatery since 2004, have always hoped to expand and grow with Hobbs and Lea County. With the increasing need for more places to eat and the desire by people of all ages to have more op ons for gathering and socializing, as well as more entertainment, the Yues feel like now is the me to make some changes and accommodate the growing needs of residents and visitors alike. The restaurant has operated a beer and wine license since it opened, and had a wine bar to accommodate its customers. But to add to their selec on and to appeal to even more people, Pacific Rim is in the process of obtaining their full liquor license. The Yues recognized that the only way the restaurant could maximize the benefits of having the enhanced license, make a larger selec on available for customers and bring something new and different to town, was to do an expansion on the building and make room for more people to come to Pacific Rim to enjoy the food, the drinks, and the variety of entertainment they plan to have available. The addi on will double the size of the exis ng wine bar to give ample space to support the new features, including a full service sushi bar, a lounge area, a VIP room, as well as another tradi onal dining area. The full service bar will have something for everyone as it will have a menu of specialty drinks, a large selec on of beer including more than 10 beers on tap, a full assortment of premium alcohol and cocktails, and an extensive wine and sake selec on. Construc on is set to begin in late February, which will include the expansion of the exis ng building and then the merging and remodel of the current wine bar. The design of the new bar and lounge was developed with the intent of keeping the fine dining experience that people expect from Pacific Rim, while infusing a new, contemporary feel, capturing the excitement and energy that is enjoyed in bars located in much larger ci es. They say they are trying to create an environment that will wow customers when they walk in the door, and they will get the feeling that the bar is at the center of all the energy and excitement in Hobbs and Lea County, allowing the Pacific Rim sushi bar and lounge to bring Hobbs to life! With the renova ons and expansion expected to be complete in approximately 60 days, Pacific Rim hopes to open the doors to the new bar in April. The restaurant will remain open during construc on, with the intent to minimize or eliminate any disturbance to the main dining area, allowing customers to con nue to eat and drink all of their current favorites.
Commerce Watch State jobs report: Jobless rate cks up in December from month before New Mexico s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.4 percent in December 2012, up from 6.2 percent in November but down from 7.0 percent a year earlier. The na onal unemployment rate was 7.8 percent. The rate of over-the-year job growth, comparing December 2012 with December 2011, was nega- ve 0.4 percent, represen ng a loss of 3,200 jobs. The current round of job losses started in June a er ten months of over-the-year job growth. In December, five industries added employment over the year, while eight industries lost jobs. The largest employment gains were reported by the leisure and hospitality industry, adding 3,700 jobs since last year. Job growth in the large educa- onal and health services industry has dropped, with an over-the-year increase of 1,200 jobs in December, compared to growth of about 5,000 jobs reported at the start of 2012. The professional and business services industry reported the largest over-the year employment losses in the private sector, with a loss of 2,900 jobs. The informa on, and transporta on, warehousing, and u li es industries each reported employment levels that were down 900 jobs from last year. Government employment registered a net loss of 5,600 jobs, with job losses reported at the state and federal levels. State employment reported an over-the-year loss of 4,500 jobs, while employment in Federal government was down 1,100 jobs. Hobbs Building Report Source: City of Hobbs Building Services December Commercial Valua on Total: $19,576,174 December Residen al Valua on Total: $2,003,451
Commerce Watch Unemployment Rate Lea County Dec. 2012 3.9% Nov. 2012 3.5% Dec. 2011 4.3% 0% 1% 1% 2% 2% 3% 3% 4% 4% 5% 5% Gross Receipts Tax Government Distribution City of Hobbs Jan. 2013 (Nov. 2012 sales) $5,993,497 Dec. 2012 (Oct. 2012 sales) $6,352,355 Jan. 2012 (Nov. 2011 sales) $5,745,887 $5,000,000 $6,000,000 $7,000,000 Gross Receipts Tax Government Distribution Lea County Jan. 2013 (Nov. 2012 sales) $1,103,521 Dec. 2012 (Oct. 2012 sales) $1,122,231 Jan. 2012 (Nov. 2011 sales) $939,969 $0 $1,000,000 $2,000,000
Gi s from the Heart Are Gi s of the Heart According to legend, a young man roaming the desert came across a spring of delicious crystalclear water. The water was so sweet he filled his leather canteen so he could bring some back to a tribal elder who had been his teacher. A er a four-day journey, he presented the water to the old man, who took a deep drink, smiled warmly, and thanked his student lavishly for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a happy heart. Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat it out, saying it was awful. It apparently had become stale because of the old leather container. The student challenged his teacher: Master, the water was foul. Why did you pretend to like it? The teacher replied, You only tasted the water. I tasted the gi. The water was simply the container for an act of loving kindness and nothing could be sweeter. Hear elt gi s deserve the return gi of gra tude. I think we understand this lesson best when we receive innocent gi s of love from young children. Whether it s a ceramic tray or a macaroni bracelet, the natural and proper response is apprecia on and expressed thankfulness because we love the idea within the gi. the thing given rather than the feeling embodied in it. We should remind ourselves and teach our children about the beauty and purity of feelings and expressions of gra tude. A er all, gi s from the heart are really gi s of the heart. This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts. The Hobbs Chamber of Commerce is an official CHARACTER COUNTS! Coali on Member. CUSTOM VALENTINE S GIFT BASKETS Just for her, or just for him we have the perfect match! Chocolates, plush toys, Jelly Belly and more! Act fast for the best selec on! Delivery available. Call 391-7897 for details! Gra tude doesn t always come naturally. Unfortunately, most children and many adults value only
Winning Workshops Life is a Bowl of Choices: Choose How You Will Spend Your Minutes February 20, 2 p.m. 4 p.m., City Hall Annex Lynda Lakin, Ph.D. Time. How do you view Time? Is it something that you will Organiza onal Consultant, save up for a high priority? Is it something you will no ce Coach and Trainer when you get round to it? When you get more, only THEN will you do what is important to do? Is there not enough of it for you? There be er be, because you have all the me there is! We get no more. We also know how many minutes are available to us every day, every month, every year. Of the six major organiza onal resources, me is the ONLY resource that we know how much we have available to us. We never know how many people will show up, we don t know when the equipment will break down, we can t forecast that the budget will stay flush, we never have enough space at work, and we certainly don t get informed the way we would like. This Winning Workshop will help par cipants to iden fy their Time Consumers, Time Robbers, and their Time Wasters in life. Specific focus will be on priori zing life s demands according to the Important and the Urgent. Tips for logging me and learning from how to spend it will be addressed as well as iden fying strategies for managing those Wasters both tasks and people. Managing oneself in rela on to the me available requires us to know where those minutes go, just like we know where our money goes each month.
Chamber Seeking Firm Founda on Sponsors for FY 2013 14 Firm Founda on funding enables the Hobbs Chamber to deliver valuable training and other enriching opportuni es to member businesses and their employees. Please consider partnering with the Hobbs Chamber as a corporate sponsor next fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2013. Sponsors will receive excep onal visibility for the excep- onal leadership they demonstrate in suppor ng Hobbs Chamber member programming. Sponsors will receive prominent placement on the forthcoming Hobbs Chamber website, a lis ng on each communica on disseminated to the Chamber s membership, banner recogni on at Hobbs Chamber func ons, and other considera ons. Please call Grant Taylor at (575) 397-3202 for more informa on. Dr. Lynda Lakin speaks to guests of the December Winning Workshop, Life is a Bowl of Choices. Calendar of Events February 2013 (All members are invited!) February 16 Ribbon-cu ng, Mrs. Bling s An ques-n-things, 103 W. Broadway St., 1:30 p.m. Don t miss the drawing for a special gi basket at 2 p.m. February 20 Life is a Bowl of Choices: Choose How You Will Spend Your Minutes, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m., City Hall Annex February 21 Business A er Hours, 5 p.m., NEW MEMBERS Belle Cheveux and Le Junque, at their combined loca on at 150 E. Navajo Dr. Seeking Volunteers We invite our members to recommend and encourage their employees to volunteer to help the Hobbs Chamber fulfill its mission. The regular volunteer ac vi es of our volunteers are ideal for those who specialize in sales, business development, public rela ons and more. Like the Hobbs Chamber on Facebook We are earnestly trying to grow our social-media visibility to the general public. Please go to the Hobbs Chamber s Facebook page, facebook.com/hobbschamber, and click the Like bu on to become a page fan. Seeking Find It in Hobbs Faces Do you have products and services residents and businesses tradi onally go to other markets to find? We want to tell consumers that if they re looking for (blank), they can find it in Hobbs. Also, if you have a compelling story about why you own a business in Hobbs, tell us your story!
Chamber News ICYMI: Hobbs Chamber members offered FTE op on for determining dues In mid-2011, we introduced a dues schedule that is more equitable and easier to understand by staff and members. Members to whom our basic dues schedule applies determine their annual dues based on their number of employees. We are commi ed to fairness and accessibility, and we equally want our members dues to be an accurate reflec on of the dues schedule. We recognize that some industries more than others depend heavily on part- me help. If this is true for your business, we invite you to calculate your full- me equivalents, rather than tally whole persons who may only work part- me, to determine your dues. Please use the following to do so. Full- me equivalents is the ra o of the total number of paid hours during a period (part- me, full- me, contracted) divided by the number of working hours in a week. The ra o units are FTE units or equivalent employees working full- me. In other words, one FTE is equivalent to one employee working full- me. Example: You have three employees and they work 40 hours, 30 hours, and 10 hours per week totaling 80 hours. Assuming a full- me employee works 40 hours per week, your full me equivalent calcula on is 80 hours divided by 40 hours, or 2 FTEs. (Please round up for any decimals.) If a er calcula ng FTEs using the above method, you find yourself in a different employee range, please update the membership agreement on the next page and send it in. We will update our records for future billing.
Member News Western Heritage Museum to host Child Safety Day Feb. 9 On Feb. 9, the Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame will host Child Safety Day, with assistance from the Hobbs Police Department, the Hobbs Fire Department, the Lea County Sheriff s Department and the Lea County Community Drug Coali on. The event, which is scheduled from 1-5 p.m., is designed to bring awareness to families about the many resources in our community available for keeping our children safe. An Emergency Vehicle Explora on Sta on located in the front parking lot of the museum will feature the Hobbs Fire Department s smoke house demonstra on model, a fire truck and an ambulance. Members of the Hobbs Police Department, the Lea County Police Department, Lea County Sheriff s Department, and the Lea County Drug Coali on will be on hand to answer ques ons and to demonstrate the crime figh ng techniques used in our community. There will be door prizes and admission is FREE! We invite families to try their own hand at crime scene inves ga on by visi ng our new exhibit, Crime Lab Detec ve, educa on director Mary Lyle said. The interac ve exhibit challenges visitors to apply forensic-science concepts, such as the study of fingerprints, chromatographs, DNA, insect lifecycles, re marks, hair analysis, thread comparison and handwri ng analysis to solve a crime. For more informa on about Child Safety Day or to schedule a school tour call Mary Lyle or Judy Taylor at 575-492-2678. Introducing Windstream Windstream understands that keeping your business connected is cri cal. Our promise is that every business we serve will enjoy superior data, voice and networking solu ons as well as customized, hassle-free service - all through a reliable best-in-class network. We specialize in businesses like yours and will work with you to develop a tailored solu on that will enhance your success. Marsha Nicholas Account Execu ve Windstream Communica ons marsha.nicholas@windstream.com (575) 706-5856
Member News Penn Na onal Gaming plans 150 room hotel for Zia Park property Penn Na onal Gaming, owner of Zia Park Racetrack & Casino, is pleased to announce that plans are underway for a new 150-room hotel at Zia Park Racetrack & Casino located in Hobbs, New Mexico. Hotel construc on is targeted to begin in the second half of 2013, and the final product will feature 150 rooms with six comfortable suites, business and mee ng spaces, a fully-equipped exercise and fitness facility, and a hot breakfast venue. The new hotel is budgeted at $26.2 million, and will set the course for Zia Park to become a top des na on loca on in southeastern New Mexico, as well as help meet the need for hotel room availability that has grown consistently as a result of the strong economy in the regional marketplace. Guests at this hotel will enjoy the convenience of being only steps away from the racetrack, casino, and Zia Park's restaurants, as well as within walking distance to other local a rac ons like the Lea County Event Center, and the Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame. We are very excited to move forward with building this new hotel, said Rafael Verde, Vice President & General Manager of Zia Park. "Our new 150-room hotel will give guests an on-site hotel experience, which we haven't been able to offer before to our racing and casino patrons from regional markets. This is an important step in our plan to provide the area with a complete racing and gaming entertainment experience." community. We are fortunate in this market to have the opportunity to con nue our reinvestment in Hobbs, Lea County and New Mexico, and look forward to this latest addi on. This investment comes on the heels of a successful 2012 at Zia Park. In 2012, Zia Park enjoyed many investments as well as successes as a result of ongoing, posi ve business growth: In coopera on with the New Mexico Racing Commission and the Horsemen s Associa on, Zia Park invested $150,000 in new track surface improvements at the start of the 2012 racing season. On-site wagering was up 10.4% over 2011. Casino revenues are up 11.9% over 2011. The increase in casino revenues allows for an increase in racing purses. Casino revenues generated $19.2 million in purse money in 2012, up from 2011 s $17.1 million. In 2012, Zia Park generated $25 million in gaming taxes for the State. Zia Park invested $634,000 in the expansion of the Centennial Steakhouse, nearly doubling its size from 44 to 80 seats to serve its racing and casino patrons. Zia Park generated $632,000 in taxes locally in 2012 (combined property, gross receipts and comp tax). Verde went on to say, At Zia Park, we are proud to partner with the Hobbs and Lea County business
Chamber News J.R. Canon & Associates continues Hobbs Chamber script discount card J. R. Canon & Associates continues to provide prescription drug discount cards to its fellow Hobbs Chamber members. Members have received cards with various mailings since March 2012 when J.R. Canon & Associates first introduced the programs. Members who have not received cards by mail should call Hobbs Chamber staff. Additional cards may be obtained by visiting J.R. Canon and Associates, located at 110 W. Clinton. The card s benefits will vary from drug to drug, Larry Sitzer, a consultant at J.R. Canon and Associates, said. For details about your drug discounts, go to www.freedrugcardsite.com. Click the Pharmacy Locator link at the top of the site, find your pharmacy, and enter your drug prescription to view specific discounts. Present the drug card at the pharmacy counter at the time of purchase. All the pharmacies in Hobbs accept the card, Sitzer said. The cards do provide a great benefit, and we re excited to share them with the members of the Hobbs Chamber.
Promoting Commerce. Promoting Community. Promoting Character Find us on the Web: hobbschamber.org Email Grant Taylor, President & CEO: grant@hobbschamber.org