Third Annual Southeast New Mexico Business Forum Brings Region Together in Carlsbad

By Hattie Quinn

Also to be broadcast on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, as part of “Mid-Week Matters” on KCCC 930AM

Salado Isolation Mining Contractors (SIMCO) invited regional business leaders from Southeast New Mexico and West Texas to gather in Carlsbad from July 28 through July 30 for the third annual Southeast New Mexico Business Forum, built this year around the theme of construction and fabrication.

The event was billed, according to SIMCO’s event materials, as “an opportunity to connect with organizations from Southeast New Mexico and West Texas, build meaningful relationships, and reconnect with valued colleagues and partners.”

As Carlsbad residents know, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the potash mines, and the construction and fabrication trades that support them are an important part of the local economy, bringing jobs and potential customers to our region. This event put the people who needed to meet each other in the same room, whether they were looking for training for their employees, a custom fabricator, or someone to maintain their fleet.

The three-day event began with a tour of WIPP and a mixer at the Elks Lodge on Tuesday, July 28, continued with the main forum day at Pecos River Village on Wednesday, July 29, and closed with a golf tournament at Lake Carlsbad on Thursday, July 30, giving attendees ample opportunity for learning and networking.

Tables filled the room, representing companies including, but not limited to Cementation, Alpha Safety, Flatland Energy, LATA, Kyvek, Trucking and Contracting Services LLC, Frank’s Supply Company Inc., IPS Inc., SIMCO, Constructors Inc., Komatsu, Radiation Protection Systems, M5 Energy, 4 Elements Oilfield Services, and FMG, among many others, with representatives who came from as far as El Paso and San Antonio or as close as businesses on Canyon Street.

SENMC Workforce Training staffed a table, fielding questions and directing attendees to safety and workforce training classes. Representatives highlighted established programs, including the Commercial Driver’s License Program and the Radiological Control Technician certificate, along with a new SENMC offering in community journalism and broadcast media training for residents seeking a new career path or hoping to inspire younger family members toward those fields.

Attendees weren’t just swapping business cards and swag. They were also trading stories about the dogs that rode along to Carlsbad or a great play seen recently in El Paso. The point being that a forum like this is as much about relationship-building as business.

Along with the swag, a nod should go to Lucy’s Catering, which provided breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks for attendees between panels and talks tied to the construction and fabrication theme.

All due appreciation to SIMCO for holding this event in Carlsbad for the third year. Gatherings like this matter for a town like Carlsbad, standing at a crossroads between an industrial boom, a workforce shortage, and a services shortage.

The scheduled panels and talks offered plenty to learn, but simply putting these vendors in the same room as the people doing the work may be just as valuable. The value of face-to-face connection in an era of remote work and digital networking cannot be overstated. Allowing regional vendors and workers to mingle with those doing the hiring and procurement helps us all move forward together.