The Verdes Foundation, one of New Mexico’s largest cannabis companies, continues to grow and plans to add more employees to its headcount as that trend continues.
And thanks to recent funds the company received through the New Mexico Economic Development Department’s Job Training Incentive Program — one of 10 businesses to receive the money in January — Verdes can now train eight new hires and create robust compensation packages for those employees, said CEO Rachael Speegle.
“JTIP has been a really meaningful partnership for us in our ability to expand,” Speegle said. “(It) helps us give more back to our community and helps us give more back to our people.”
The JTIP award comes at a time when Verdes is expanding its presence in the state, with the recent addition of three new dispensaries, a new state-of-the-art cultivation facility and roughly 50 employees since recreational cannabis became legalized. Verdes is also expanding its manufacturing footprint for edibles, currently in the process of building out a multimillion-dollar facility that is expected to be completed by summertime.
Manufacturing of edibles has become a key initiative of Verdes. The company is currently in the process of creating edibles that include the addition of nutraceuticals, vitamins and herbal extracts “that truly enrich the human experience,” Speegle said.
“I think manufacturing is a really special art,” Speegle said. “And I’m really proud to bring manufacturing jobs to New Mexico.”
Verdes, which received $68,549 to train eight hires, is one of 10 companies to receive funds through JTIP in January. More than $2 million was awarded to those companies, with The Boeing Co. taking home the largest slice of the pie with an awarded $780,695 to train 21 employees, according to EDD. Other awardees included 3D Glass Solutions Inc., Kairos Power LLC and Paradise Power Inc.
“This is a great way to usher in 2023 by assisting 10 more businesses grow their workforce in New Mexico and help existing employees learn new skills so they can earn higher pay,” EDD Secretary Alicia Keyes said.
