Cheese company’s NM expansion finishes years ahead of schedule

Dec. 2—The state and locally supported expansion of a cheese and dairy facility in Las Cruces has finished up construction about four years ahead of schedule.

With the expansion, Saputo Dairy USA has created 300 jobs in administration, , quality insurance and maintenance, according to Jamie Dickerman, with Sunny505. The -based public relations firm issued a news release on behalf of the city of Las Cruces.

The expansion was initially expected to be completed in December 2026, according to the news release.

Sunny505 told the Journal in an email that the additions included two buildings, a parking lot and an employee breakroom.

A for Montreal-based Saputo Inc., the parent company of Saputo Dairy USA, declined to comment on specifics of the expansion. A with the city of Las Cruces was unclear on what was included in the buildout, only citing that there were multiple permits issued for the project.

“This is a monumental project for the city of Las Cruces, and we applaud Saputo for their commitment to growth and expansion in Las Cruces,” Las Cruces City Manager Ifo Pili said in a statement. “In addition to creating high-paying, full-time jobs in , Saputo’s expansion helps us to bolster our agricultural industry and our local economy as a whole.”

Dickerman said in an email to the Journal that hourly pay for the added jobs start at $16 an hour, with the highest-paying annual salary standing at about $100,000.

The facility has 375 employees as of Tuesday, according to Economic Development Department spokesman , adding that “the company is exceeding its jobs creation target.”

Saputo had received $2.8 million in state and city Local Economic Development Act investments for the expansion. That includes $2.5 million from the state and $300,000 from the city of Las Cruces in distributions made in June and August, according to Krasnow. Total capital…

..

Read More