Publication: Economic Development Department
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Geobrugg picks New Mexico for Expansion
Company doubling footprint, will add 60 employees at North
American manufacturing hub
ALGODONES, N.M. – Geobrugg, a global leader in fence and safety protection, has
been awarded state economic assistance to double its footprint in New Mexico, add 60
jobs, and create a North American manufacturing hub at its Sandoval County location.
Geobrugg North America, a Brugg Group company, moved to Algodones from Santa Fe in
2011 and expanded in 2018. It has now outgrown its 25,000-square-foot facility and
purchased an additional 13.5 acres for offices and manufacturing capacity in New Mexico.
The company constructed its first installations made of wire rope net in 1951 as protection
systems against avalanches in Switzerland. Today, its products protect against a range of
natural hazards around the globe, such as rockfall and slope stabilization, landslides, and
debris flows, as well as the impacts experienced from mining, tunnels, pipelines,
underwater harbors, aviation operations, and construction. A growing segment of the
business is safety protection at motor sports events — all Formula 1 tracks are required to
use homologated fencing such as Geobrugg, and the company recently provided fencing
for the Formula 1 race in Miami and the 4th of July NASCAR event on the streets of
downtown Chicago.
The state pledged $500,000 for the expansion from the Local Economic Development Act
(LEDA) job-creation fund, with the award paid out as Geobrugg achieves economic
development benchmarks. The company will invest $8.8 million in the New Mexico
project.
“Geobrugg has identified its New Mexico location as a strategic hub in its global
operations,” New Mexico Economic Development Department Deputy Secretary Jon Clark
said. “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.”
“North America is a key market for Geobrugg products to protect people and
infrastructure from geohazards,” Andrea Roth, CEO Geobrugg Group, said. “For decades,
Geobrugg has been committed to produce its solutions directly in the United States with
our manufacturing hub in New Mexico. 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.”
Geobrugg’s expansion encompasses a new 20,000-square-foot factory building to
increase production capacity and 4,195 square feet of office space. Geobrugg is expected to
break ground this month with project completion by the end of 2023. Geobrugg currently
operates 24 hours, 3 shifts per day, 5 days per week.
Sandoval County is serving as the fiscal agent for the project.
“Geobrugg North America has grown to over 100 employees in four years and will
continue to have a major economic impact on Sandoval County,” Katherine Bruch,
District 1 Sandoval County Commissioner, said.
“It is important to invest in projects located in the rural areas of Sandoval County. The
Geobrugg North America expansion in Algodones will have a positive impact there and
throughout the county,” Joshua A. Jones, Sandoval’s District 5 Commissioner, added.
In addition to providing for Geobrugg’s current and five-year manufacturing growth
needs, the expansion will also provide space for Geobrugg’s sister company, eConnect,
which makes DC (direct current) fast-charging system solutions for electric vehicle
charging stations. This will allow eConnect, now with facilities in Poland and Switzerland,
to begin manufacturing in the United States, providing products for our rapidly growing
Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station market, addressing the needs of the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act.
Ninety percent of Geobrugg employees are New Mexican residents living in Sandoval and
Bernalillo Counties. The location is an easy commute from nearby Pueblos, and the
employee base includes members of the Santo Domingo, San Felipe, Navajo, and Jemez
Tribes.
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.
The Sandoval Economic Alliance has provided the company technical assistance during
its expansion planning.
“Sandoval Economic Alliance is proud of our long-term relationship with Geobrugg and
Pierce Runnels, their General Manager. We have enjoyed watching and assisting them
grow over the years. Each time we meet with them we learn more about their international
presence and are proud to have them in our community,” Fred Shepherd, president and
CEO of the Sandoval Economic Alliance, said. “They are yet another world-class
manufacturing gem in Sandoval County and were the initial manufacturing anchor in
Algodones which has now seen additional manufacturing companies establish operations
there.”
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