Laboratory Small Business Office partners with Northern New Mexico supplier alliance to sponsor New Horizons Trade Fair Oct. 17 in Pojoaque

Contact: Steve Sandoval, steves@lanl.gov, (505) 665-9206

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Oct. 1, 2001 -- More than 180 small businesses from throughout Northern New Mexico are scheduled to participate in the New Horizons Trade Fair Oct. 17 in Pojoaque.

The Small Business Office at the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Northern New Mexico Supplier Alliance and the New Mexico Procurement Assistance Program are partnering with a number of corporate sponsors to sponsor the daylong event in the Ben Lujan Gymnasium, about 16 miles east of Los Alamos off NM 502 in Pojoaque.

"The trade fair is the opportunity for businesses throughout the region to showcase their products and services to not only the Laboratory, but Sandia National Laboratories, state and local government procurement agencies and officials," said Bennie Gonzales, Los Alamos' Small Business Program Office program manager. "The Laboratory, through its partnership with the Northern New Mexico Supplier Alliance, is committed to promoting small business and economic development in Northern New Mexico. This is a win-win opportunity for everyone who participates."

J.R. Trujillo, chairman of the board of directors of the Northern New Mexico Supplier Alliance, said the trade fair has been months in the planning. Laboratory workers who purchase goods and services, especially technical Laboratory divisions, are encouraged to attend the trade fair. "We've been working closely to contact small business owners and sign them up for the trade fair. But we've also been talking to people at the Laboratory and other sectors of government who make purchases for their organization to stress the importance -- and advantanges -- of buying locally, whenever possible," said Trujillo.

The Northern New Mexico Supplier Alliance is a 600-member not-for-profit organization whose membership includes businesses in a seven-county region around the Laboratory, Trujillo explained.

The evening before the New Horizons Trade Fair, the Northern New Mexico Supplier Alliance, New Mexico Building Trades Council and the Laboratory are hosting Noche de Ayudantes to publicly recognize and thank sponsors of the trade fair. And the first Allan F. Johnston Advocacy Award will be announced during the event in the Nick Salazar Performing Arts Center at Northern New Mexico Community College in Española.

The award is named after the late Johnston, a longtime small business advocate and Los Alamos' former Business Operations Division leader. Johnston died earlier this year.

Some of the 25 corporate Zia sponsors participating and providing financial and other support are: Johnson Controls Northern New Mexico, Compaq, Protection Technology Los Alamos, IBM and Hewlett Packard. An additional 50 plus small businesses are Mesa sponsors, also providing financial and other support to the trade fair.

Preregistrations for booths at the trade fair are still being taken at http://www.networxinc.com/nmsaevents.htm online. Or call Janelle Vigil-Maestas in the Small Business Office at 667-4410, or write to sbo@lanl.gov by electronic mail. Or call J. R. Trujillo of the Northern New Mexico Supplier Alliance at 505-753-9298.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.