Abrasives Manufacturer Adding R&D near Production Plant

LAS CRUCES, NM-Earthstone International LLC intends to develop a new research and development facility here in support of its product development efforts. The manufacturer of non-toxic cleaning and sanding products from recycled glass in January announced plans for a 100,000- to 200,000-sf production facility in nearby Santa Teresa that will employ some 200 people. Earthstone CEO Scott Corriveau says the company’s new head of R&D William Ramsey wanted to have a research center that was close to both its planned Santa Teresa facility and New Mexico State University’s College of Engineering. “We need to increase the number of talented eyes and hands that are available at the graduate level to help us develop new and innovative uses for our technology,” says Ramsey, who joined Earthstone from Mississippi State University where he led a thermal process engineering group at the Diagnostic Instrumentation and Analysis Laboratory.Earthstone’s decision to base its manufacturing facility in Santa Teresa came as a result of a decision by the New Mexico State Investment Council to invest $9 million in the company. To date, the state has released $5 million of the promised $9 million with the additional $4 million scheduled to be released by year-end. “We expect the business to grow by 40 to 50 percent this year, and we’re very close to meeting the state’s hurdle for the next round of funding,” says Corriveau. In addition to the new manufacturing jobs, the company plans to add up to 12 additional high-wage jobs in New Mexico early next year and is in discussions with IOS International, which currently handles the packaging and shipping of Earthstone products from its El Paso facility, to move those operations into the Santa Teresa plant. Earthstone International uses patented technology to turn recycled glass into commercial and household cleaning and sanding products. Earthstone’s products, including sandpaper substitutes, pool and grill cleaners and household cleaners, are currently in stores such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s chains. The New Mexico State Investment Council’s $200 million private equity fund was established through legislation signed by Governor Bill Richardson. The legislation allows the fund to directly invest in private companies as a means to stimulate economic and high-wage job growth in New Mexico. The council’s State Investment Officer is Mr. Gary Bland, former Vice President of Trust Investments for The Boeing Co., where he managed over $62 billion in employee benefit plans.