The crop gives a Hatch valley packing shed only so many months of work, and during those months it cannot stop. Chile arrives from fields irrigated by wells and by ditches that divert from the Rio Grande, Caballo Lake and Elephant Butte Reservoir, and it has to be sorted, packed and cooled before the heat of the day takes its toll. A building that fails during harvest costs the owner far more than the repair.
We build packing sheds, processing plants, bottling and bakery buildings, and the storage that supports them. Our buyers are growers, packers, co-packers and food producers who need a sanitary building, a floor that drains and a layout that moves product forward without crossing paths. They want a building that survives a wash-down every day and an inspection every year.
Food buildings are judged by what is hidden: slopes in the floor, caulking at every joint, drains that clear, and a roof that does not drip onto product. We build those details through trade partners and check them before the equipment arrives.
Hatch is known worldwide for raising chiles. Farther south, New Mexico State Road 28 runs roughly parallel to the Rio Grande past farmland, dairy farms, vineyards and pecan orchards in the Mesilla Valley, through La Union, Anthony and Vado. Deming, the Luna County seat, has an economy based partly on agriculture and sits on a major rail line.
The Santa Teresa cattle crossing is the largest on the U.S.-Mexico border, with 534,245 head crossing per year. Meat, dairy, nuts, produce and wine each need different buildings, but they share the road network and the dependence on cold storage nearby. Our work in Hatch and Chamberino reflects that range, from open-sided sheds to enclosed processing rooms.
Floors in a wet processing area are sloped to drains, usually at one percent or more, and finished with a resinous or sealed surface that tolerates chemicals and temperature swings. Wall panels are smooth and washable, ceilings are sealed, and electrical boxes are rated for wet service. Joints between floor and wall are coved. We pour and finish floors through trade partners, with slopes surveyed before the topping goes down.
Layout matters as much as finishes. Raw product enters at one end and finished goods leave at the other, and people, forklifts and waste follow separate paths. Separation of clean and unclean zones is easier to build in at the start than to add after an audit. Our pre-engineered metal buildings give owners a cost-effective shell, and interior rooms are built to the food safety plan within it.
Ventilation and condensation are the two problems owners notice first. A wet room in a hot climate sweats on any cold surface, and dripping condensate over open product fails an inspection. We specify insulated, sealed roof assemblies, size make-up air for the wash-down load and slope any exposed ductwork so that moisture runs away from the line.
Processing uses water and produces wastewater. Water supply, pretreatment of process wastewater and disposal depend on what the site and the local utility allow, and they often drive the site choice. We coordinate with the owner's engineer on sumps, grease interceptors, screens and pretreatment structures, and we build them to the drawings.
Rain is rare but intense. Las Cruces averages 9.14 inches of precipitation a year, and arroyos often carry water after heavy thunderstorms. A processing yard needs stormwater detention and drainage that keeps runoff away from product areas and prevents flooding in a heavy storm. Around Deming, minor flooding sometimes occurs over large areas of flat ground, a reminder that flat land drains slowly.
Packers and shippers want open, cooled, high-throughput space with many dock doors. Processors want enclosed, temperature-controlled rooms with strict finishes. Beverage producers need floors with floor drains, tank pads and loading areas for tankers. Each of these owners benefits from nearby cold storage and refrigerated capacity, which we can build in the same campus.
Some owners use food and nutrition production as a bridge into regulated products. For those, our work for pharmaceutical and life sciences owners shows what higher cleanliness levels require, and we can tell an owner where a food building can stop and where a more controlled one begins.
The harvest sets the date. A packing shed must be complete and commissioned before the first load arrives, and an expansion to an existing plant must be done in the off-season or built so the existing line can keep running. We plan expansions with temporary walls, dust control and protected utilities so the line can run through construction. Our approach to phased construction on occupied sites applies directly.
Summer heat shapes the work as well. With highs averaging 96.2 degrees F in June, we place concrete early, protect fresh slabs from rapid drying and keep crews hydrated. When the schedule slips, the harvest does not wait, so we hold float for the long-lead equipment and make decisions on it early.
Send the product, the harvest or production window and the site. We will return a building concept, a drainage plan and a schedule that finishes ahead of the season.
For some crops and some operations, yes. Open-sided sheds cost less and ventilate well, but they offer little protection from dust, wind and pests. Many packers choose a partially enclosed building with a cooled room for product. We discuss food safety requirements with you before choosing.
Sealed concrete works for dry or lightly wet areas. For heavy wash-down, chemical exposure or thermal shock, a resinous system is usually better. We pour a floor with the right slope and surface profile, and the finish contractor applies the system after the slab has cured and been tested for moisture.
Start by asking the utility what it will accept, then size pretreatment to meet it. Some sites need a lagoon or tank system, others connect to a sewer. Wastewater limits can affect site selection, so we recommend asking the question before purchasing land.
Yes, with planning. We build the new space outside the existing walls, protect shared utilities, keep dust out and tie in during a short shutdown or at night. The sequence is agreed with plant operations and food safety staff in advance.
It can. Flat sites drain slowly, and desert storms bring heavy short rains. We design detention and sloped paving so that water leaves the production areas and enters a controlled basin. Deming's listed elevation of 4,331 feet and its minor flooding over flat ground are examples of the conditions we plan for.