The Pennsylvania-based Calgon Carbon Corporation has acquired two businesses in Bloomfield, heralding the first step towards a significant expansion plan. The acquisition of Benchmark Equipment & Tank and Bloomfield Machine & Welding is expected to lead to an investment of nearly $100 million, according to officials from the New Mexico Economic Development Department. The anticipated expansion also includes the creation of several new jobs.

Calgon Carbon Corporation, a subsidiary of a Tokyo-based company, has secured a pledge from the state of $150,000 from the agency’s Local Economic Development job-creation fund to assist in the expansion. The anticipated growth is expected to bring nine new jobs this year and create 16 more over several years. The company will also have access to the state’s Job Training Incentive Program for hiring high-wage workers. The average salary for these new jobs is projected to be between $60,000 to $90,000.

Over the next decade, Calgon Carbon plans on making an investment of $94 million in the region. The acquisition and forthcoming expansion have been warmly received by local officials. Bloomfield City Manager, George Duncan, expressed excitement over the current employees retention and the company’s proposed growth. Duncan intends to review the facility alongside Calgon Carbon executives to better understand the operational process.

Calgon Carbon specializes in the production of granular activated carbon, used for air and water purification. The presence of highly skilled welders in Bloomfield played a significant role in attracting the company, which heavily relies on this workforce to manufacture the tanks used in its purification systems.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and EDD Cabinet Secretary Mark Roper acknowledged the potential positive impact of the new investment and technology. These developments may help counterbalance the loss of energy-related jobs in San Juan County in recent years, helping diversify New Mexico’s economy. The expansion in New Mexico forms part of Calgon Carbon’s strategy to broaden its operations across the country.