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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

A History Built Around the Aerospace and High-Tech Industry in New Mexico’s Mesilla Valley

More than 60 percent of the components that go into an airliner are manufactured within the NMBorderplex region.

2015 Auto/Aero Site Guide
The NMBorderplex has a history built around the growth of aerospace and high technology industry. Over 65 years ago, the Department of Defense built a testing and evaluation site called White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) near Las Cruces, New Mexico, changing the area into one of the most technical centers of aerospace influence in North America. Today, the NMBorderplex is now home to the pioneers of commercial space like Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic.
ARCA Space Corp.’s AirStrato, an electrical powered aircraft able to fl y almost twice as high as a commercial airliner, will be tested and manufactured at the PSL UAV Flight Test Center in Las Cruces, N.M.
ARCA Space Corp.’s AirStrato, an electrical powered aircraft able to fl y almost twice as high as a commercial airliner, will be tested and manufactured at the PSL UAV Flight Test Center in Las Cruces, N.M.
The NMBorderplex boasts NASA’s White Sands Test Facility, New Mexico State University’s (NMSU) Physical Science Laboratory, and Spaceport America, the first purpose-built commercial spaceport in the world. The region is home to the first UAV Flight Test Center, the original UAV Center of Excellence, and WSMR. Together, these entities create a unique and diverse testing and evaluation air space.
Auto/Aero 2015 Special Report
First Person: A Precision Aerospace Manufacturer Relocates Production from Mexico Back to New England
Choosing the Optimal Site for an Aviation-Related Project
Industry/Education Partnerships Hold Promise for Advanced Technology Industries
Implications of Additive Manufacturing for the Auto Industry
The Case for Supplier Parks in the Automotive Supply Chain
Aerospace Skills Gap: Workforce Declines, As Talent Needs Increase
U.S. Auto Manufacturing Through the Eyes of a Design-Build Contractor


But the NMBorderplex isn’t just about aerospace testing and research. The region covers three states and two countries, and is a manufacturing hub. Over 60 percent of the components that go into an airliner are manufactured within the Borderplex region. Union Pacific’s new $500 million intermodal facility is the largest of its kind, bringing direct access to major seaports. With mild weather year-round, transportation problems rarely affect I-10 and I-25.

The region’s workforce is young and educated, boasting a student population of over 100,000 between NMSU, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), the Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez, and 14 more community college branches across the region. Companies are invited to come discover why Las Cruces, New Mexico, along with the NMBorderplex, is the perfect site for aerospace development

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