More good news for the people who are responsible for El Paso’s economic development, the Borderplex Alliance. Business is booming . . . in Santa Teresa.
In fact, Twin Cities shut its freight yards in El Paso to relocate operations here.
“We’re moving lock, stock and barrel,” Twin Cities owner Ed Hazelton told the Journal . “I hope to grow my business by 50 to 60 percent in the next couple of years. I’ve already got new clients lined up for as soon as I get this facility open.”
The Santa Teresa facilities hope to employ 2,500 people, some of whom may live in El Paso and thereby contribute to demand for service-industry jobs, like at Wendy’s and Whataburger, as well as more prestigious jobs at upscale restaurants, like Fuddrucker’s and Applebee’s.
What’s that, a glimmer of hope on the horizon?
Opportunity for hundreds of jobs
Santa Teresa may soon be home to a new foreign-owned metal extrusion company that would serve Mexico’s maquila industry from the border industrial zone. The company, which would invest about $40 million to establish operations, could bring hundreds of jobs paying an average annual salary of $41,000.New Mexico has been competing with El Paso to recruit the firm. State officials and local economic development specialists are tight-lipped about negotiations, but it appears the company is leaning toward the Land of Enchantment.
“We’ve had deep discussions with them, but it’s not a done deal yet,” said state Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela. “We’re optimistic that the company will soon call New Mexico home.”
Dang, and we were so close.
Remember that the people to whom the City of El Paso has ceded the responsibility for economic development are focused on regional economic development, and not necessarily local economic development. Hence the City’s slogan, It’s All Good.
And Southern New Mexico looks like a pretty attractive place, with El Paso’s looming Quality of Life bond projects coming up, and Triple A baseball. All of that housing on the westside should be a pretty easy sell, as a little bedroom community for Santa Teresa. Or maybe not.
Residential plans, too
In fact, Corporación Inmobiliaria will break ground this year on San Jerónimo’s first 3,200-home residential development. And, on the New Mexico side, about 1,000 new homes have either already been built or are now under development.
Next, Santa Teresa will probably get a Fuddrucker’s, and cut El Paso out of the loop all together.