New Mexico, too, seeks to capitalize on trade opportunities its 175-mile (282-km.) border with Mexico represents. The state has in place assistance for companies seeking to establish a maquiladora presence in the area, and it lists the top 10 materials purchased by maquilas, which may influence U.S. real estate managers' site selection decisions. They are: molded plastics, repair supplies for machines, packaging material, electronic components, wire, metal stamping, steel, chemicals, wood supplies and apparel supplies.
      New Mexico is home to a booming semiconductor industry, particularly in the greater Albuquerque area where Intel Corp. is in the midst of a major expansion in Rio Rancho (see the Site Selection cover story, May 2001). Another key high-tech industry in the state is biotech -- more than 30 such firms have a presence in New Mexico, including the National Center for Genome Research. And the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Sandia National Laboratory are producing an isotope used in 80 percent of all nuclear medicine procedures.
      The state's Industrial Development Training Board is a critical part of its effort to grow in-state businesses. In April, the board approved $4 million in training funds for nearly 800 jobs at eight companies. Gap Inc. was the largest beneficiary with a $2.3 million allocation for the training of 296 people; the apparel retailer has relocated much of its corporate office to Albuquerque from San Francisco. In June, the board approved additional training funds for 174 new jobs in rural parts of the state.