Rio Rancho, NM – Today, Governor Susana Martinez joined state and local leaders to announce that Safelite Group®, the largest vehicle glass and claims management company in the U.S., will create 900 new insurance claims processing and support jobs in Rio Rancho over the next four years. Company leaders cited New Mexico’s workforce and business friendly environment as reasons, among others, for choosing Rio Rancho over other locations like Texas.
“When job creators come to New Mexico, they see the differences we’ve made over the last six years,” said Governor Martinez. “From cutting taxes on businesses, ending double and triple taxes on our manufacturers, and slashing regulatory red tape, the message is clear: New Mexico is open for business. And more importantly, they see the high-quality workforce that New Mexico has to offer. They see the values that make our state not only the best place for business, but the best place to live and raise a family.”
The announcement is the largest single job creation in New Mexico since 2009. More than 1,000 jobs have been added in the Rio Rancho area in June alone. Since the Governor took office in 2011, more than 40,000 private sector jobs have been created throughout the state.
“The Governor has enacted bold reforms over the last six years that send a strong message to industry-leading companies like ours,” said Safelite President & CEO Tom Feeney. “And at the end of the day, we’re most excited to tap into New Mexico’s high-quality workforce at Safelite, where customer satisfaction comes first and employees are part of the family. We think this is a great home for our fifth insurance claims processing and support center.”
New Mexico will invest $3 million in Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) funding to invest in infrastructure improvements to accommodate Safelite’s expansion. LEDA serves as New Mexico’s closing fund, and is a valuable tool for recruiting new businesses to the state while helping those that are already here grow and thrive. Governor Martinez fought to grow the closing fund to $56 million, up from nearly zeroed out when she took office.
Safelite also plans to apply for the Rapid Workforce Development Fund, which the Governor enacted this year, to help teach its workers Spanish-speaking skills. The program calls for businesses and New Mexico colleges and universities to partner to quickly train and certify employees in specialized fields to fulfill the workforce requirements of companies who choose our state.
“We’re more than excited to welcome Safelite to the community,” Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull said. “We’re proud of the progress Governor Martinez and our state and local leaders have made to make our state more attractive for companies looking to expand. I know that Safelite will find our community welcoming, our workforce hardworking and our business climate more ready than ever before to help their company grow and thrive.”
Safelite’s expansion comes on the heels of Governor Martinez announcing that PCM, a California tech company, is creating 224 new well-paying jobs in Rio Rancho and more than 1,000 jobs in communities throughout the state. Both announcements come after a recent trade mission to California where Governor Martinez met with business leaders to tout New Mexico’s work to become more business friendly. The Governor has made a priority of reaching out to business leaders across the country to encourage them to move to New Mexico.
“New Mexico has dramatically and strategically improved its business climate to attract good jobs to the state and compete with other locations like has never done before,” said Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela. “This is key as we work to diversify our economy, and Safelite’s decision to locate here is the most recent example of how having a welcoming business climate makes a difference.”
Companies that have recently chosen New Mexico cover a broad and diverse group of industries and sectors, including high-tech and traditional manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, and finance. Some are home-grown New Mexico companies; others are national leaders in their industries.
About Safelite® Group
Safelite® Group, a subsidiary of Belron®, is a multi-faceted vehicle glass and claims management service organization based in Columbus, Ohio. The company, which has been in business since 1947, is comprised of four major business operations that includes Safelite AutoGlass®, the largest provider of vehicle glass repair and replacement services in the U.S.; Safelite® Solutions, which offers fleet and insurance claims management services; Service AutoGlass®, a vehicle glass wholesale and distribution operation; and Safelite® Glass Corp., an replacement windshield manufacturing and distribution business. The company employs more than 13,000 people throughout the United States.