Copyright © 2022 Albuquerque Journal
Intel Corp. hired 173 employees in 2021 in New Mexico, with about 109 of those — or 63% — being local residents.
It’s the first time the company has reached its hiring goal of more than 60% since 2017. And the new hires add to the more than 1,900 employees working for Intel in the state.
That’s according to the Intel’s most recent New Mexico RISE report that was released Wednesday,. The annual report is part of Intel’s industrial revenue bond agreement with Sandoval County and details the company’s corporate and community responsibility in the state.
“Intel’s purpose is to create world-changing technology that improves the life of every person on the planet,” said Katie Prouty, Intel New Mexico’s site leader, in a statement. “As we usher in a new era for Intel in New Mexico, we will continue our commitment to community and strive to build a better future for all.”
Intel, going back to 2001, had paid about $1 million to Sandoval County for not meeting its hiring goals of locals, company spokeswoman Linda Qian previously told the Journal. The county uses that money to help fund STEM education for the county’s four school districts on a per-student distribution, county manager Wayne Johnson previously said.
The report also states that Intel had spent $270 million with New Mexico-based organizations and paid $778,999 to Sandoval County for property taxes in 2021. Additionally, the report says that Intel had paid the county $1 million due to contractual obligations in the IRB between the two entities.
Intel also contributed $765,250 in donations to New Mexico-based organizations and non-profits in 2021, according to the report, and had contributed $115,900 in employee volunteer hours.
The chip manufacturer has also made it a goal to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across all global operations by 2040. Locally, Intel is funding its third water restoration project that is being led by the National Forest Foundation. The project will help restore water to the Rito Peña Negras tributary in the upper Rio Grande, according to the report, and is part of the company’s goal of net-positive water by 2030.
Intel’s electricity use last year was covered by 100% renewable energy purchases, according to the report.
The RISE report comes on the heels of Intel announcing a $3.5 billion expansion at its Rio Rancho plant that will see the facility manage a new chip-packaging architecture called Foveros. The expansion is the largest commitment Intel has made in New Mexico since the plant first opened in 1980.
Prouty said the expansion will create 700 high-tech jobs, 1,000 construction jobs and support 3,500 jobs across the state over the coming years.
“This investment will enable the New Mexico site to remain an important part of Intel’s global manufacturing processes in support of the company’s IDM 2.0 strategy,” Prouty said.
