A New Mexico company with operational ties to Spaceport America has been awarded a major contract at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Cabinet Secretary Alicia J. Keyes announced.
Fiore Industries Inc. has secured the 10-year contract from JPL in Pasadena, CA. to provide campus-wide security and fire protection services. The newly awarded contract provides JPL with critical life safety support for all campus personnel and is worth $130 million over the next decade.
Bill Miera, founder and CEO of Fiore Industries, is a New Mexico native who earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of New Mexico. The JPL contract comes after Fiore gained experience with smaller contractual work at NASA White Sands and Spaceport America.
Fiore will expand from 140 to 200 employees after the JPL contract transition on Oct. 1. Many of the operations and support positions will remain in Albuquerque with approximately 30 employees located at Spaceport America, as part of its obligations for security and protection of the 18,000-acre Spaceport, near Truth or Consequences, N.M.
“We are a New Mexico company and we try to do all the support out of Albuquerque," Miera said. “We have all local vendors, hire engineers in Albuquerque, and even do our own manufacturing. The JPL contract means there are more high-paying jobs coming to New Mexico.”
Fiore said the JPL expansion would not have been possible without his experience at New Mexico’s Spaceport America.
“Southern California is very competitive there are lots of companies that can work this contract,” Fiore said. “JPL checked our reputation at Spaceport America and in New Mexico -- reputation is very important to JPL. They liked the fact that we are a small company, that I own the company, and that I’m out here right now. They can reach out to me anytime and that really boosted their confidence in us.”
Aerospace is one of the industries targeted by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for additional state investment. Cabinet Secretary Keyes said that this policyis helping Fiore and other New Mexico firms gain experience and expand in the fast-growing space and defense industries across the country.
“This is great news. Not only will the contract bring a significant amount of revenue into the state in terms of GRT, but it was a competitive bid among a huge number of companies across America,” Keyes said. “It speaks well toward growing the space industry here, as New Mexico’s contractors and expertise are clearly recognized nationally. Fiore's track record at Spaceport America was key to its competitive position with JPL.”
Founded in 1989, Fiore Industries Inc. is a global aerospace and defense provider that provides turnkey mission support ranging from engineering and technology solutions to base operations and support services. The recent award, combined with Fiore's agreements to conduct electromagentic pulse testing for the U.S. Navy and support on the B-2 Spirit for the U.S. Air Force, solidifies the company's position as a leader in strategic aerospace and defense engineering mission support.