New plant to bring 350 jobs to Santa Teresa

$50M factory is expected to open in 2020

A Taiwanese manufacturing company is opening a $50 million plant with an expected workforce of nearly 350 in Santa Teresa, the company announced Wednesday.

Admiral Cable, which makes electrical cords, and industrial cables and wires, will build a 195,000-square-foot plant in Santa Teresa’s intermodal park, where it will have access to a rail spur, said Jerry Pacheco, CEO of the Santa-Teresa-based Border Industrial Association. It is expected to open in 2020.

“This is a reaffirmation to the world that Santa Teresa is a world-class global manufacturing center,” Pacheco said. “That a company that could go anywhere picks our region just affirms how competitive we are in attracting companies.”

Admiral Cable will receive $3.92million in Local Economic Development Act funds, with Doña Ana County to act as the fiscal agent.

Also announcing a move to the Santa Teresa area in recent months was Stampede Meat, which expects to hire more than 1,200 employees over the next five years, and Corrugated Synergies International, bringing 120 manufacturing jobs.

Mitch Samuels, a consultant to Admiral Cable who spoke at the announcement, said in a phone interview that the company also looked at the El Paso area, but said the Santa Teresa proposal “just felt better.”

“We liked the community, we liked the people (and) the job site was wonderful,” said Samuels.

State Economic Development Director Matt Geisel said he and Gov. Susana Martinez were in Taiwan earlier this year and spoke to Admiral Cable officials while there.

Pacheco and Samuels said the company would spread the word about Santa Teresa as it seeks to have more of its suppliers locate nearby.

Some are already in the area, Pacheco said.

“We’re looking at this as the priming of the pump in getting more Taiwanese companies,” Pacheco said.