Manufacturer expands in Santa Teresa

Franklin Mountain Packaging (FMP), a manufacturer specializing in producing high-quality corrugated micro-flute sheets and digital print and die cutting, has signed a lease on a new 150,000-square-foot production center and warehouse facility being constructed in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, New Mexico Economic Development Department (NMEDD) said in a news release.

The new facility is adjacent to Franklin Mountain Packaging's (FMP) current 140,000-square-foot building at 401 Avenida Ascencion in Santa Teresa. The company expects to add 60 employees in the next three years, bringing its total employee count in New Mexico to 155, the news release said. The state is investing $500,000 from its Local Economic Development Act Job Creation Fund (LEDA) to support the expansion.

“Franklin Mountain Packaging is a major pillar in the Santa Teresa industrial base,” said Border Industrial Association President Jerry Pacheco. “We are excited that this global player is expanding.”

FMP’s quantum corrugator is one of only two of its kind in North America and one of 14 in the world, NMEDD said. Quantum not only has advanced corrugated sheet-making capabilities. It also uses 30 percent less energy and square footage than traditional corrugators, NMEDD said. Producing micro-flutes means creating lighter weight sheets and boxes with the same strength, while using less fiber in each. This translates into lower packaging and freight costs for FMP’s customers.

FMP also has a high speed, single pass digital printer on site that allows for printing high-quality graphics on corrugated sheets without the need for costly print plates, the news release said.

“The State of New Mexico’s focus on the border region for the past few years and their infrastructure investments are making the area an attractive spot for industrial development,” FMP CEO Paul Foster said. “The joint efforts on the Santa Teresa border crossing between the State of New Mexico and the State of Chihuahua are also moving the needle. Together, these investments and efforts will continue to foster economic growth in the area.”

The company is assisted in its expansion by the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance (MVEDA), which awarded FMP $150,000 in economic assistance from the NMBorderplex Closing Incentive, a local incentive administered by MVEDA and the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico.

“We are excited to see Franklin Mountain Packaging’s continued growth in Santa Teresa,” MVEDA President and CEO Davin Lopez said. “Investments like these are why Santa Teresa is fast becoming recognized as the premier location in the southwest United States for company expansions.”

The Santa Teresa Port of Entry is a primary crossing between the United States and Mexico, and it is the first land port without a bridge structure from the east, NMEDD said. Because of this, it serves a critical function for the El Paso and Ciudad Juarez industrial regions, as the only oversized and overweight port, not limited by space or weight. The port is also clearing a growing number of regular commercial vehicles and a larger segment of local and non-local private commuters.

Santa Teresa continues to set records in commercial traffic, and that number is expected to increase due to consistent heavy congestion in El Paso ports, NMEDD said. In the last two years, the port has doubled the number of commercial vehicles processed per hour and hit a new record in 2022 by processing more than 160,000 trucks.

FMP’s expansion announcement is the third this summer for businesses in the Santa Teresa Borderplex region, the news release said.