|  Farming, ranching and the oil business have been the staples of our economy since the early 1900s, and the community's proud and entrepreneurial spirit has persevered through periodic drought conditions and global downturns in oil and gas.
Local businesses are always proudly supported. Local companies have always managed to find the balance between hiring and training locally and attracting business and individuals from the outside who can participate in keeping Artesia's economy healthy. And, throughout our history, the Artesia Public School System, one of our largest employers, has enjoyed strong community support so that the system can assist in the growth and development of our young people.
 The city is actively working on business retention and expansion as well as diversification. The city's successful attempt to attract the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in the 1992 added a new dimension to Artesia's economy and the city's growth issues. Training hundreds of students each day, FLETC has provided many new professional training jobs as well as many maintenance, construction and service jobs at the Center itself and throughout the community.
Artesia is expanding its industrial park so, in total, the park includes 160 acres of land, some of which includes rail access.
 Local businesses are taking the risks to diversify, grow and expand services to the community in many areas, including agriculture, oil and gas, healthcare, education, and telecommunications, to name a few.
Artesia is home to three of the state's top 10 oil producing companies, a growing refinery, and many other homegrown oil and gas businesses as well as worldwide companies that have chosen to have field offices and production in the Artesia area.
The dairy industry continues to grow with dozens of dairies in the Artesia area and a successful dairy producers' cooperative headquartered inside the city.
 Telecommunications continue to improve as our local rural telephone cooperative continues to expand its services in the areas of voice, data and video, successfully competing with nationwide companies.
The citizens are supportive of the city's growth in very real ways, including:
- the passage of bond issues to support remodeling and expanding the local hospital;
- encouragement of the establishment of air service to the area;
- passage of a local economic development act that allows a gross receipts tax increment to be applied specifically to economic development projects; and
- financial support of such non-profits as Artesia MainStreet and Artesia Arts Council, which are taking on capital improvement projects that have significant impacts on our economy and quality of life.
Artesia is a community that has grown out of the fearless independence of the Wild West, and today is rooted in the entrepreneurial spirit that encourages such growth as we see today in southeastern New Mexico.
For more information on Artesia's economic development efforts, please contact the Chamber of Commerce, 575-746-2744.
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