ABQ’s Vitality Works to expand production with state, local funds

Expansion is in the works for Vitality Works, an Albuquerque-based supplement manufacturer recently awarded state and city funding to grow the business.

Vitality Works, founded in 1982, manufactures and labels herbal, vitamin and nutraceutical supplements for brands across the nation. The company recently received $600,000 in state and city Local Economic Development Act funding, which will be used for purchasing equipment and reconfiguring production space at its West Side facility.

LEDA allows the state and local municipalities to invest public money into private companies expanding or relocating to help with costs associated with land, building and infrastructure, according to the state Economic Development Department website.

The company deals with more than 2,500 ingredients, making products for about 600 brands nationwide, according to Chief Operating Officer Jon Priest.

The company also received $550,000 in LEDA funding in 2018, which allowed it to build a 35,000-square-foot warehouse for expanded production at 8500 Bluewater NW, bringing the property to 22 acres.

Priest told the Journal the most recent LEDA funding will aid the “expansion of manufacturing capabilities” with internal infrastructure, including a new water system, equipment and a new controlled space/clean room.

“This will boost our capacity as we see more and more demand,” Priest said in a statement.

The original expansion project in 2018 cost the company a little under $7 million, and the most recent expansion projects will cost just over $5 million, Priest said.

“So these grants are helpful. ... It really does help,” Priest said.

Vitality Works has proven to be a worthy investment. The 2018 funding provided a $5.9 million return on investment and “over five years in direct tax benefits to the city, county and state,” which generated more than $89 million in economic impact, state officials said.

The department’s new Cabinet secretary, Rob Black, said in a statement that the state is “excited to support the ongoing expansion of Vitality Works.”

Vitality Works’ expansion projects will create 18 new jobs as construction is completed over the next five years. The company currently employs around 306 workers.

“Twenty jobs here (supports) 200 jobs in the city, because our folks are going out and buying groceries and cars and clothing and ... things like that,” Priest said. “The intent of LEDA is to drive economic-based jobs.”

In addition to impacting the economy through jobs, Vitality Works also supports local farmers by sourcing organic herbs and ingredients from farms in Abiquiú and Tesuque Pueblo. Priest said these partnerships, in addition to state and local government partnerships, largely contribute to what makes Albuquerque the place to be.

“Let’s face it; we could pick this business up because it’s not dependent on the local economy. We can run it anywhere. We could run this business from literally any city in the United States,” Priest said. “Albuquerque is a good choice for us because of the partnerships that we have.”

Kylie Garcia covers retail and real estate for the Albuquerque Journal. You can reach her at kgarcia@abqjournal.com.