SANDOVAL COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – Steel wire net manufacturer, Geobrugg, was awarded state economic assistance to add 60 jobs and create a North American manufacturing hub at its Sandoval County location.
Geobrugg North America purchased an additional 13.5 acres for a new 20,000-square-foot factory building for offices and manufacturing in New Mexico. The state pledged $500,000 for the expansion from the Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) job-creation fund. The company will invest $8.8 million in the New Mexico project, according to the state.
“The interstate system, our workforce, and New Mexico’s business climate is driving manufacturing growth in the state. Geobrugg and other companies are seeing these advantages and choosing New Mexico to expand operations,” New Mexico Economic Development Department Deputy Secretary Jon Clark said.
The expansion will also provide space for Geobrugg’s sister company, eConnect, which makes direct current fast-charging system solutions for electric vehicle charging stations. This will allow eConnect to begin manufacturing in the United States.
“The planned expansion in Sandoval County will give us the potential to meet the growing demand in the market and offer possibilities for other products from the BRUGG Group such as EV charging cables or wire ropes for cable cars,” said Andrea Roth, CEO Geobrugg Group.
Ninety percent of Geobrugg employees are New Mexican residents living in Sandoval and Bernalillo Counties. Staff currently earn between $36,000 and $300,000 annually. This expansion will continue to offer wages between $16 to $80 an hour, plus benefits, according to the state.
Geobrugg is expected to break ground in August with project completion by the end of 2023. Sandoval County is serving as the fiscal agent for the project. Geobrugg North America moved to Algodones from Santa Fe in 2011 and expanded in 2018. It has now outgrown its 25,000-square-foot facility.
