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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

American Gypsum Upgrades Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Plant

07/16/2021
American Gypsum, a leading manufacturer of wallboard products, has been awarded a state Economic Development Department LEDA grant to modernize its manufacturing plant in Bernalillo County, New Mexico.

The company, which has 140 employees at its New Mexico facilities, will invest a total of $22 million in New Mexico over the next 18 months. American Gypsum operates a 55-acre manufacturing site in Bernalillo County, along with a support site in Bernalillo, and a gypsum mine on Zia Pueblo tribal land, which employs tribal members.

“It's certainly a major decision and having the LEDA support and other partnerships has made it easier to invest in New Mexico and improve our facility in Bernalillo County," said Peter L. Bauer, vice president of manufacturing for American Gypsum.

According to state officials, the American Gypsum facility, built in the 1960s, is in need of infrastructure and equipment modernization. The $500,000 in state LEDA assistance allows the company to extend the useful life of its gypsum wallboard plant with electrical and other improvements, sustaining the long-term viability of its New Mexico operations.

“This state investment will solidify American Gypsum’s operations in New Mexico and keep these manufacturing jobs in our state for years to come,” Cabinet Secretary Keyes said. “The state will see a return on investment within the first several months of this project.”

The LEDA assistance through the Local Economic Development Act job-creators fund, as well as the Bernalillo County partnerships, solidified American Gypsum’s decision to upgrade its New Mexico facility, state officials said. The company also operates manufacturing plants in South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Colorado.

“We are thrilled to see American Gypsum modernizing its Albuquerque facility, a decision that was made possible by the benefits of an IRB agreement with Bernalillo County as well as LEDA funds provided by Governor Lujan Grisham. The AED team was honored to have worked closely with the company, a longtime presence and employer in Albuquerque - and our economic development partners to ensure that this investment happened in our region and not in another state,” said Danielle Casey, President and CEO, Albuquerque Economic Development, Inc., (AED).

Bernalillo County will serve as the fiscal agent for the LEDA award and is providing additional support with Industrial Revenue Bonds.

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