Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Santa Teresa industrial base drives exports and construction, presenter tells Doña Ana County commission
Summary
Jerry Pacheco briefed the Planning and Zoning Commission on major industrial growth at Santa Teresa and cross‑border activity, highlighting thousands of employees, millions of square feet of industrial space, and infrastructure needs—particularly water and wastewater funding.
Jerry Pacheco, director of the New Mexico International Business Accelerator and Border Industrial Association, told the Doña Ana County Planning and Zoning Commission on June 26, 2025, that the Santa Teresa industrial base has become a statewide economic engine and that the area faces urgent infrastructure needs, especially for water and wastewater.
Pacheco said Santa Teresa has about 22,000 acres of developable land and that the industrial base supports roughly 7,000 employees and approximately $2 billion in annual revenue to the state, citing a New Mexico State University economic impact study updated in early 2024. He said Santa Teresa handled large volumes of trade—reporting nearly $40 billion in trade through the port of entry last year—and that the area saw 44% export growth in one recent year, leading all U.S. ports of entry in percentage growth.
Pacheco described a cluster of recent and ongoing projects: Foxconn’s expansion in Mexico with connected supply needs in Santa Teresa (he said about 848,000 square feet in Santa Teresa is leased to support that production), multiple spec industrial buildings, large cold storage (Valley Cold Storage at 425,000 square feet), three solar farms under development with battery storage, an expanded Union Pacific intermodal yard and rail services, and various manufacturing and logistics operations. He said the overweight zone for truck weights in the area was expanded to 12 miles to attract warehousing and value‑added importers.
Pacheco noted infrastructure and policy issues the county and region face: the need for more and faster capital for water and wastewater system upgrades, coordination with state and federal agencies for port modernization, and the local impacts of scheduled closures and reconstruction (for example, the planned multi‑year shutdown of the Bridge of the Americas and related interstate projects that will shift commercial traffic to Santa Teresa). He said the county sought state capital outlay for water projects but received about $500,000 in the latest legislative session and is pursuing Water Trust Board and North American Development Bank funding.
Commissioners asked about retail services and housing for the growing workforce; Pacheco said retail grows more slowly than industrial development and that Sunland Park has substantial recent multifamily construction but that prices remain high for many households. Commissioners also asked about state support and transportation projects; Pacheco reiterated that road, bridge and port projects are under way but said water/wastewater is the region’s “Achilles’ heel.” Pacheco offered tours of the industrial base to commissioners.
No formal action was taken; the presentation was provided as an informational update and followed by commission questions about infrastructure and future industrial subdivisions in the Santa Teresa area.
