A California-based defense technology company is considering Sandoval County for a major rocket motor production facility that could bring hundreds of high-paying jobs to the state, officials announced Friday afternoon.
Castelion Corporation, headquartered in Torrance, Calif., is evaluating a 1,000-acre site in Rio Rancho for manufacturing and testing next-generation hypersonic systems, according to a statement from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office.
The proposed facility’s first phase could generate more than $659 million in economic output over the next decade in New Mexico, according to initial county and state projections. The company could invest over $101 million in the first phase and hire up to 300 engineers, technicians and executives with salaries averaging over $100,000 annually.
“New Mexico has long been a cornerstone of American innovation and defense; winning this project would continue that tradition,” Rob Black, Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Economic Development Department, said in a press release “If our state is ultimately selected, this would mean high-tech jobs, significant investment, and the kind of advanced manufacturing that keeps New Mexico on the map for national security and economic opportunity alike.”
The project remains under consideration, with other out-of-state locations still in contention for the facility.
Castelion, founded with a mission to restore the U.S. industrial base for defense, aims to produce hypersonic systems at scale to help the U.S. and its allies deter global threats, according to the company.
Local officials have worked for months to advance New Mexico’s candidacy for the project, including collaboration between Sandoval County, the Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance, Sandoval Economic Alliance and state and federal officials.
“This kind of project reflects the type of industrial development that strengthens our local economy while contributing to national priorities,” Sandoval County Manager Wayne Johnson said in a press release.
Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories have conducted extensive reviews of the project and concluded that site and safety plans meet federal and scientific standards, according to the announcement. The facility would implement environmental monitoring and 24-hour on-site security.
If selected, the company’s presence could grow to employ over 1,000 people by 2035, with additional capital investments potentially exceeding $150 million.
Chad Matheson, Interim President & CEO of the Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance, called the coordinated effort “a powerful example of how our region and state can win when the public and private sectors work together with focus and determination.”