NM: State Economic Development Offers Close to $500,000 to 6 Companies in Job Training Funds

The New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD) approved a new round of JTIP awards at the JTIP October 2023 board meeting, Deputy Cabinet Secretary Director Jon Clark announced.

These latest awards went to six companies, five proposing to expand through job training efforts and one planning to train an incumbent worker though JTIP’s Step-Up program. The total amount of funding being offered in October is $492,492. Companies approved are located in Albuquerque, Bernalillo, Deming, Red River, Rio Rancho, and Santa Fe. JTIP reimburses these businesses after training is complete and at a rate determined by location and other factors.

“Together these companies are now eligible to train 40 employees for new jobs or for an existing position with higher wages,” Clark said. “At a time when the unemployment rate remains relatively low, JTIP and other workforce training initiatives are more important than ever for businesses looking to grow their workforce and expand in New Mexico.”

The six companies approved for JTIP in October 2023 are:

Aersale Component Solutions dba Aersale Landing Gear Solutions (ALGS) in Rio Rancho specializes in overhauling aircraft landing gear. The company’s complete overhaul capability for landing gear assemblies includes non-destructive testing services, state-of-the-art CNC machining, a 30-tank plating line, and on-site bushing fabrication. Request: 18 trainees; average wage $19.96; total award $113,140.

Amfabsteel, Inc. is a design-build structural steel fabricator in Bernalillo, NM. Nationally known for their design build, design assist, and more widely known for developing the technology to take a project from concept through fabrication almost completely digitally. Request: Step-Up funding to support training one current employee; total award $780.

Beck and Bulow Buffalo LLC produces high-quality meats and is expanding their manufacturing and production to a new location in Santa Fe to secure the company as a local and regional meat source and supply chain for New Mexican restaurants, catering companies, grocery stores, and other markets in the Southwest. Beck and Bulow has leased 660 acres in San Miguel County to raise grass-fed, grass-finished beef and bison and never administers hormones, steroids, or antibiotics. The company will also source a variety of meat from local vendors and provide-value added processing such as specialty cuts, ground meat, sausages, and cured meats. Request: 3 trainees; average wage $19.58; total award $23,210.

Little Toad Creek LLC currently operates a nano-brewery and distillery, a seasonal rural hotel/restaurant/tasting room, and a year-round restaurant/tasting room in downtown Silver City. As the canned beverage sales continued to grow, they found the need to expand their production capability and purchased a property in Deming with 76 acres and two industrial metal buildings totaling approximately 45,000 square feet. Request: 8 trainees; average wage $18.13; total award $78,194.

The Red River Brewing Company, LLC (RRBC) building houses a production brewery & distillery, kitchen, indoor bar and dining rooms, and an outdoor bar and two patios. Wholesale distribution of beer and spirits is a growing segment of the business, and demand requires that they expand production by acquiring and renovating 5,000-square-foot facility in Red River. This will house all distillery operations and will represent a ten-fold increase in production capacity for craft spirits product line. RRBC distributes craft spirits to retail stores and restaurants throughout New Mexico and the Texas panhandle and distributes their craft beers in kegs to restaurants in northern New Mexico. Request: 2 trainees; average wage $21; total award $22,754.

Payfave, Inc. dba Wink, is on a mission to redefine authentication with biometrics and eliminate reliance on passwords. With a focus on creating highly secure and seamless interactions between businesses and individuals on any device, Wink is revolutionizing the way identity is verified and transactions occur. The company is located in Albuquerque and this is their first JTIP request. Request: 8 trainees; average wage $55.22; total award $254,413.84.