NMIDEA (New Mexico Industrial Developers Executive Association) met in Bernalillo, New Mexico this week to discuss New Mexico’s economic development initiatives and strategies. Economic developers from all over New Mexico gathered and met for these discussions. On Wednesday New Mexico’s economic developers recognized their peers at an awards luncheon and Eric Montgomery of the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance (MVEDA) was recognized as the 2018 New Mexico Developer of the Year for his outstanding work and recruitment in the Stampede Meat to Sunland Park, New Mexico. 
Montgomery was the critical factor in recruiting Stampede Meat to Sunland Park, New Mexico. Stampede Meat, a leading processor of proteins to national restaurants and retailers across the country, announced that they had purchased the former Tyson Foods plant in Sunland Park, will invest more than $36 million in infrastructure and will hire up to 1,295 employees over the next five years. This is the largest single announcement of jobs by a company in NM in the last decade.
Montgomery’s efforts on this project began nearly 4 years ago when Tyson Foods vacated the facility and ceased operations. The impact on Sunland Park, in the southern part of Doña Ana County, was detrimental. At that time, Montgomery began a campaign to remarket the facility to site selectors and commercial brokers across the country. During this time period, he developed a relationship with a food processing site selector and was able to illustrate the value of a future operation establishing itself in Sunland Park. He did this through a discussion of capital cost comparisons and labor rates vs. nearby states. Over the years this site selector entrusted Montgomery with several clients and site visits before Stampede Meat took interest in the facility.In addition to this being the largest private sector employment project in over 10 years in the entire State of New Mexico, and the economic impact it will have on the community, the projected economic impact to the region is:
- 1,295 direct jobs
- $28.8 Million in direct Payroll
- 3,965 Total new Jobs supported (Direct & Indirect/Induced)
- 4 Year Household Spending $244,944,179
Eric Montgomery, MVEDA Vice President of Business Development, received his Bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University and entered the public sector with the City of Las Cruces where he managed a grant funded program. While pursuing his MPA at New Mexico State University, he entered the private sector and was promoted to regional manager where he spent his time training and developing sales networks in the southwest United States. After graduating with his MPA, Eric began work with the City of Las Cruces’ Economic Development Department, where he specialized in outreach to current businesses and assisted in the relocation of new businesses to the area. He is a board member of the New Mexico Industrial Development Executives Association (NMIDEA). He is a member of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce’s Commercial Space Committee and Military Affairs Committee.
Posted 11/15/18
