Wind Turbine & Energy Cables Plans Doña Ana County, New Mexico, Manufacturing Plant
10/26/2021
The former 68,000-square-foot Alpo pet food processing plant that closed in 2014 will now be used for steel-wire manufacturing and eventually expand to produce wind towers, the spine of the wind-energy turbine. The company will refurbish the facility in the federally designated Colonia of Chamberino, located at 1311 San Francisco De Asis.
“When WTEC started looking for a new location we wanted to be in the West, closer to our customers and key raw material vendors. When evaluating the pros and cons of Texas vs. New Mexico, the incentives offered by New Mexico and our close relationship with the Economic Development Department and MVEDA tipped the scale,” WTEC CEO Brian Singh said. “At this property in Doña Ana County we have an existing building with room to expand. We see a lot of growth in the wind and solar sectors and this positions us well to grow our manufacturing capacity and improve our competitive position in the market.”
As an incentive, the State of New Mexico is pledging $2 million from its Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) job-creation fund to assist WTEC with land, building, and infrastructure improvements as it expands manufacturing to the state.
In addition to LEDA, $100,000 from the El Paso Electric New Mexico Economic Development fund has been pledged to WTEC to support the project. The fund, which is administered by MVEDA and the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico, was established by El Paso Electric in connection with the corporate sale of the Utility to Infrastructure Investments Fund (IIF) to provide $1 million per year for 20 years in support of private businesses, projects, and organizations that make, or will make, a measurable difference in achieving economic growth and development, expanding and diversifying the tax base, creating new quality jobs, and increasing the economic base within El Paso Electric’s New Mexico service territory.
“This investment will bring new life to this facility and to a rural community in Southern New Mexico. We are committed to growing jobs in all parts of the state so families can achieve economic security and prosper,” EDD Secretary Keyes said. “The state LEDA assistance will not only support these jobs, but it also helps hundreds of others in the wind and solar energy industries as we invest in these higher-paying and exciting new industries.”
The New Jersey-based company expects to begin hiring in early 2022 with a ramp up to 315 full-time employees by the end of 2027. The average salary is expected to be over $37,000 and the project will have a statewide economic impact of $409 million over 10 years.
“WTEC Corp’s expansion into the Chamberino community might just become one of the most impactful job creation projects to ever take place in rural New Mexico,” Davin Lopez, president and CEO of MVEDA, said. “We are pleased that we could partner El Paso Electric’s N.M. Economic Development Fund with the State of New Mexico and Doña Ana County to land this investment.”
Project Announcements
Britain-Based Strive Sales Establishes Tampa, Florida, International Office
03/21/2023
Global Resources International Plans Columbia, Alabama, Operations
03/21/2023
HistoWiz Establishes Queens, New York, Central Laboratory
03/21/2023
Big Fish Games Establishes New Orleans, Louisiana, Talent Hub
03/21/2023
Sonoco Protective Solutions Expands Owosso, Michigan, Operations
03/21/2023
ABB Robotics Expands Auburn Hills, Michigan, Production Campus
03/21/2023
Most Read
-
37th Annual Corporate Survey: Economic Pressures Exerting Greatest Effect on Decision-Makers
Q1 2023
-
2022 Top States for Doing Business Provide an Environment for Business Growth
Q3 2022
-
The Top Investment Location Prospects for Aerospace Manufacturing
Q1 2023
-
19th Annual Consultants Survey: Clients Challenged by Tight Labor Market, Energy Availability
Q1 2023
-
36th Annual Corporate Survey: Executives Focus on Labor, Energy, Shipping Costs
Q1 2022
-
Strategies to Overcome Intensifying Industrial Real Estate Challenges
Q1 2023
-
How Are Economic Developers Partnering to Solve Workforce Challenges?
Q1 2023