D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
May
2009
Business Exposure
Page: 2Dive Quest, in business in Las Cruces since 1999 (see "Dive,
He Said," November 2008), has "temporarily" relocated out of the city to the Truth or Consequences home of its owners, Richard "Punk" Potter and Siri Rustebakke. In an open letter, Potter says the move was "due to the current economic condition." These changes occurred just after the New Year and were announced formally in Potter's letter at the end of March. To stay in compliance and keep their dealerships, the business owners requested and received approval from all of their current vendors to relocate the physical location of Dive Quest Scuba to 1302 Iron St. in Truth or Consequences until further notice. Potter's mother, Luetisha Potter, will maintain store hours at Potter and Rustebakke's home at 2005 Del Mar Ave. in Las Cruces, where the company's office, rental equipment and such continue to be housed, for the convenience of Dive Quest customers. Potter says that he and Rustebakke will be on-site in Las Cruces on weekends and that the couple will create a traveling display of products still available through Las Cruces. Anticipating that the economy will improve in the next months or up to a year or so, Potter says he plans to open a full-service Las Cruces storefront once again. Las Cruces: 525-3483. T or C: 894-7897.
Beauty Bulletins
Cheri Crane's Datura Therapeutic Day Spa has opened its doors at 108 E. Broadway, on the corner of Broadway and Bullard Streets in Silver City, in the space that used to house the Twisted Vine. 534-0033.
After snipping for other salons for 10 years, Cathy Calabrese has opened her own shop, Calabrese Hair Studio at 1626 S. Main St. in Las Cruces. The business offers men's and women's haircuts, color and facial waxing. 640-3728.
On and Off Switches
Builder's Source has completed work on its 10,000-square foot showroom and rolled out the red carpet at 760 W. Palm Ave. in Las Cruces. Products range from standard appliances to high-end, fancy-schmancy fridges and stoves. 526-5200, www.builderssource.com
Meanwhile, Pat Goff's Appliance and TV Warehouse is remodeling for an inventory downgrade. The business has closed its Las Cruces store at 1333 E. Amador Ave., and will be shut for perhaps four months according to general manager Jim Jenkins, and reopening as a discount appliance outlet specializing in "scratch-n-dent" items. Eight of the store's nine employees were laid off as a result of the temporary closure and one employee was transferred to Goff's El Paso warehouse. Jenkins said the struggling economy was the catalyst behind the decision to restructure the business.
Winners
George and Melinda Austin, owners of Silver Imaging, won major awards at the Professional Photographers of New Mexico annual photo convention and workshop, held in Albuquerque. The judging happened in January and the Silver Imaging husband-wife team recently was notified that works they submitted to the competition were prize winners. Stop in the studio and photo lab at 215 W. College Ave. in Silver City to congratulate the Austins and see some of their prize-winning works on display. 534-4432, silverportraitstudio.com
Las Cruces-based Zia Engineering & Environmental Consultants has been awarded a contract by the New Mexico Spaceport Authority to conduct archeological data recovery investigations within the Spaceport's boundaries.
On the Move
Las Cruces' new Verizon store may move into Arroyo Plaza on Lohman Avenue by the end of this month, according to the plaza's owner, Dave Hooker. Currently Verizon has outlets on East Lohman Avenue, on North Main Street and at the Mesilla Valley Mall.
New in Town
New Mexico Professional Painters is Reyne R. Maynes' new Bayard-based commercial and residential painting business. 313-1233.
Donna Sebastian has opened Sebastian Designs, offering garment construction and alterations. 3812 Tom Lyons Dr., Silver City. 313-0336.
Carson Insurance Agency is the new identity of the former Peters Insurance. Robert Carson is the Silver City company's new owner. 601 E. 19th St., 538-3787, 590-7990.
Jennifer Sigman has opened Elevation Imports, a retailer of fair trade imports and gift items, at The Hub plaza. After being part-time residents for 15 years, Sigman and her husband moved to Silver City full time, most recently from Denver, in March. Sigman says that when she and her husband have traveled, they have bought directly from struggling communities with residents creating attractive items, making the goods "source verified" for fair trade quality. "I think visiting my store is not only a wonderful, colorful experience but also educational," she adds. "When you buy fair trade items like this, you not only make a donation to a project or person or community in need, buy you also have a gift to give." (303) 912-9469, www.elevationimports.com
Bettie McCauley and associates are ready to rock you — literally. McCauley has opened Burro Mountain Services at 10156 Hwy. 180 in Silver City, offering stone masonry. 574-7867.
Sam Bighley has opened The Wood Shop, a new cabinet and furniture building business, at 1420 Kidder Road in Silver City. 313-2717.
Need your Fat Boy fixed? Grog's is ready to do the job. Tris Windle, who goes by the nickname "Grog," owns the Las Cruces shop that used to be Roadrunner Cycles at 5130 Bataan Memorial East. The shop works on Harley-Davidson and metric bikes and ATVs, offering custom fabrication, engine rebuilding and other services. 373-9386, 639-4764.
Home-Buying Help
With the tough economy affecting the housing market, lenders and real estate brokerages are developing new programs and adding financial services to their mix to help people buy homes.
Alan Archer now offers independent mortgages through his Silver City-based company, Home Loan New Mexico. 388-2875 Ext. 02, www.myhomeloannewmexico.com
And Clayton Homes (no relationship to this reporter) is taking steps to try to ease new homebuyers' concerns by offering help if they unexpectedly lose their jobs. "We're making this commitment: If someone buys a home and then loses their job because of the economic downturn, we will make payments on their home for three months," says Kevin Clayton, president and CEO. "It won't cost the buyer a dime." The company, with a sales office on Hwy. 180 in Arenas Valley, says the program is "good for the home buyer, good for the housing industry and good for the ailing economy." www.claytonhomes.com
Gallery Comings and Goings
Glenn and Sally Cutter have renamed and reopened their business at 2640 El Paseo Road in Las Cruces as the Cutter Gallery. The couple sold the jewelry portion of Glenn Cutter Jewelers and Fine Arts to colleague Steve Boudreau in 2005. Boudreau will retain the Glenn Cutter Jeweler name for the business he opened last month at 2001 E. Lohman in the Arroyo Plaza. The Cutters' Cutter Gallery will sell estate, antique, Native American and one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces as well as international antiques and home accessories and fine art.
The William Bonney Gallery and La Tienda Gift Shop in Mesilla are closing. Owners Charles and Diane Rogers announced last month that the gallery and retail store will be consolidated with their other stores, including the Billy the Kid Gift Shop.
Kim Hopwood reports that the storefront on Memory Lane at Rose Valley RV in Silver City is going to be an upscale consignment shop, focusing on women's and junior's clothing. "We will be sharing space with the RV headquarters building and hope to grow out of that space," Hopwood says, describing the resale items as "the good stuff in the back of the closet, good quality goods, but the wrong size or color. You don't want to put it in a garage sale or get rid of it, so you can make a few bucks on it, and then you can shop for those items that do work for you and get it at a bargain." People with items they'd like to consign should call for a review appointment. In addition to resale, the business will offer some new garments. 388-4245.