It was a turn-key location with so many opportunities that Wes Richins couldn’t pass it up. With over 100-acres, and seven buildings outfitted for different needs, Richins saw that this could be a site to develop not only his business ventures but collaborate with like-minded businesses. The area – located in the Las Cruces Innovation and Industrial Park (LCIIP) at 9035 Advancement Ave – became the Southwest Research and Production Complex (SWRPC).
"It had an open feel, with some land for development, but the office buildings were ready for us to use right away," Richins said. Owner of SCALE Ag Services, Richins saw a power for collaboration with other businesses that focused on agriculture and health and well-being. “The infrastructure at the park allowed us to get up and running right away and start those conversations with other businesses,” he said.
SCALE Ag Services covers a broad spectrum of agricultural elements, including specialized micro-nutrients and specialty fertilizers, alfalfa seeds and other forage seeds, and humic acid that stimulates microbial activity in the soil. The newest addition will be the addition of environmentally friendly and sustainable gypsum used in farming. For Richins, the expansions at LCIIP made sense to build a hub for agricultural research, a complex unlike anything in the southwest.
Current tenants share his mission of wellness. The laboratory already on-site welcomed Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, which is developing critical research opportunities for their faculty and graduates. Greenhouses are being used by a company that cultivates trees for erosion control.
“Our location on the border, and that we’re so close to I-10, is a benefit to any company who might be doing trade outside New Mexico,” Richins said. “But we’re focused on working with other businesses that are working on the greater well-being in environmentally sound, conservation-based methods.”
If you have questions about LCIIP, please contact the City of Las Cruces Economic Development Department at (575) 541-2286.