Along with the cooler days, autumn brings Friday night lights, as well as a different set of tastes, sounds, and feelings. My children anxiously await fall for wearing hoodies (who am I kidding?! They’ll wear them in 100+ degree weather), and I enjoy a good flannel shirt to be cozy in. Living in the southeastern part of New Mexico, we have more sunny days than not, averaging about 278 days of sunshine a year. This sunshine allows work of all types to be conducted. Our region is vast with industries from oil and gas production to potash mining, and cultural and outdoor tourism are also vital components.

Within the pages of this edition of Focus on Carlsbad, we look at a few businesses that work all hours of the day. From oil field jobs to environmental conservation, dispatchers, people helping others live their best lives, outdoor recreation and more, we explore different aspects of employed life. Learning about what others do helps put into perspective the work that is done and can help us grow as individuals and benefit the companies we work for.

I’d like to extend a special thank you to our advertisers, their confidence and trust in the publication allow us to produce it then share it with the community for free. Our special contributors give of their time to share stories, knowledge, and experiences with readers and are very much appreciated.

Michele Robertson
Associate Publisher