Economic Development awards another $2.3 million in job training to 10 N.M. companies

SANTA FE, N.M. – Ten companies were approved by the Job Training Incentive Program (JTIP) board in November. The awards will support training costs for 212 new employees and 3 interns, New Mexico Economic Development Department Cabinet Secretary Alicia J. Keyes announce today.

The JTIP program has been essential in helping companies fill high-level, skilled jobs in New Mexico. It is an important tool in facilitating the diversification of the state’s economy. In fact, nine of the companies receiving funds this month represent one the Governor’s nine target industry sectors, specifically renewable energy, aerospace, biosciences, and value-added agriculture. The average salaries in these industries are $65,500; $124K, $75,500, and $51,500, respectively. 

"Our Comprehensive Statewide Strategic Plan, which was undertaken by an independent, nonprofit company with input from stakeholder all over New Mexico, further supported our belief that a diversified economy is the most resilient path forward," Secretary Keyes said.

"We hope that the legislators will see the full value of the JTIP program so we can support even more companies in hiring and training local workers in these diverse industries."

JTIP does this through a reimbursement model - 50-85% of trainee and intern wages – for eligible companies throughout New Mexico. The percentage of reimbursement is higher for high-wage jobs and for jobs in rural or frontier areas. You can learn more about the program here.

Of the ten companies approved for JTIP this month, six have been received previous awards and four are applying for the first time:

KiloNewton, LLC, Albuquerque, 1 trainee at an average wage of $27.50. Total award: $15,730.

KiloNewton is a unique, service-based business providing technical and engineering analysis and software design for the renewable energy sector. The company provides a mixture of consulting and software R&D, primarily focused on the optimization of large-scale solar, wind, and renewable technology.

LoadPath, LLC, Albuquerque, 13 trainees at an average wage of $54.23. Total award: $404,760.

LoadPath delivers mechanical, structural, and thermal technologies for satellite and space launch applications. The company was awarded a large contract in 2020 with the Air Force Research Laboratory to assist in research and development of advanced components and systems for satellites. Additionally, LoadPath has recently been awarded substantial contracts from SpaceFlight, XBow, and Boeing.

OpenEye Scientific Software, Inc. (OpenEye), Santa Fe, 17 trainees at an average wage of $45.86. Total award: $439,632.36.

OpenEye is headquartered in Santa Fe, NM, with offices in Boston, Cologne, ‘Strasbourg, and Tokyo. It was founded to develop large-scale molecular modeling applications and toolkits, primarily aimed toward drug discovery and design.

Pecos Valley Production, Inc. (PVP), Roswell, 19 trainees at an average wage of $19.97. Total award: $202,646.

PVP was formed in 2015 when it was awarded a medical cannabis Non-Profit Producer License from the New Mexico Department of Health. The company’s state-of-the-art cultivation campus is in Roswell, NM, where the production, processing, administrative, and executive staff is located. PVP works with different manufacturer and also works to spread awareness about cannabis. This is their first JTIP application.

Rural Sourcing, Inc. (RSI), Albuquerque, 17 trainees at an average wage of $37.03 and three interns at an average wage of $15. Total award: $364,409.72.

Rural Sourcing is an alternative to offshoring technology development and support with the goal of creating thousands of tech jobs across the U.S. The company has eight development centers, a corporate office, and over 750 employees with plans to reach the goal of 10 centers in 2022.

SRE Wellness, Inc., Albuquerque, six trainees at an average wage of $29.92. Total award: $93,216.

SRE founder Ron Silver has been on a mission to create edibles with CBD that were reliable and tasted great. In the process, he also created and developed the company’s patent pending Azuca TIME INFUSIONTM process that allows edibles to take effect in 2-15 minutes. This is their first JTIP application.

Stampede Meat, Inc., Sunland Park, 90 trainees at average wage of $14.07. Total award: $548,609.84.

Stampede Meat is a leading provider of portion-controlled protein solutions. The company creates seasoned and prepared, value-added meats, portion cuts, and a variety of fully-cooked meats that serve the numerous national food chains, restaurants, retailers, club stores , food service distributors, cruise lines, casinos, home delivery, military, hospitality, schools, airlines, and other markets in the U.S. and internationally.

Tattooed Chefs Food Corp, Albuquerque, 37 trainees at an average wage of $18.87. Total award: $190,424.48.

Tattooed Chef is a leading plant-based food company offering innovative and sustainably sourced plant-based foods. Their signature products can be found in the frozen food sections of leading national retail food stores across the U.S. and on their e-commerce website. This is Tattooed Chefs’ first JTIP application. The company plans to add 150-300 jobs in Albuquerque over the next several years.

Three Sisters Kitchen, Albuquerque, three trainees at an average wage of $18.50. Total award: $15,920.

Three Sisters Kitchen is a non-profit community food space. It makes fresh, local food accessible, affordable, and fun to cook, and creates pathways for food entrepreneurs to experiment and build businesses that succeed, contributing to a healthier and more vibrant community. This is their first JTIP application for positions that will make a new line of food products under the Three Sisters Kitchen label.

The Verdes Foundation Albuquerque, nine trainees at an average wage of $33.65. Total award: $57,780.76.

The Verdes Foundation is a nonprofit organization and one of the longest operating production dispensaries in New Mexico. The company has two adjacent production facilities in Albuquerque and dispensary locations in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho that are operated by registered nurses. The Verdes Foundation produces a large variety of value-added products, including edibles, tinctures, and salves. JTIP funds will be used to reimburse training for positions associated with manufacturing.