New Jersey-based Wind Turbine & Energy Cables Corp. (WTEC Energy) will redevelop an empty facility in rural Doña Ana County and create 315 manufacturing jobs. The expansion will be aided by $2 million from the State of New Mexico’s Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) job creation fund and $100,000 from the El Paso Electric New Mexico Economic Development fund. The local fund is administered by the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance (MVEDA) and the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico.
The 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.
“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.”
WTEC is a private company founded by Brian Singh, president and CEO, who designed an innovative and more stable wire cable for GE turbines. Singh has more than 35 years of experience in the wind industry, cable manufacturing, and product development. WTEC Energy Steel has locations in New Jersey, Texas, Arizona, Florida, and Monterrey, Mexico.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has identified sustainable energy as a target industry sector to diversify New Mexico’s economy, create better jobs, and meet our climate goals. “We have said all along that these policies will pay off – creating real jobs for real New Mexicans,” Gov. Lujan Grisham said. “WTEC is coming to Southern New Mexico, along with 315 new jobs, because of our commitment to supporting manufacturing businesses that help us diversify the economy and boost energy innovation and transition.”
“WTEC Corp’s expansion into Doña Ana County supports our efforts to grow new employment opportunities and promote economic development. We are excited about the prospect of creating over 300 jobs and a large $20 plus million-dollar investment in a Colonia that will benefit the community and diversify the base of employment in Chamberino. Their use of the former Alpo building is a way to repurpose an old facility and provides a location that will serve as a base for their operations,” Doña Ana County Board of County Commissioners Chair Manuel Sanchez said. “This project presents an opportunity for investment and economic development in a more rural part of the county.”
“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 Alicia J. 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.”
“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 NM Economic Development Fund with the State of New Mexico and Doña Ana County to land this investment.”
The El Paso Electric New Mexico Economic Development fund 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.
Posted October 15, 2021
