The New Mexico Economic Development announced that Noisy Water Winery is being awarded economic assistance to support an expansion of its production facilities that supply products to tasting rooms in Albuquerque, Red River, Cloudcroft, Alto, and Ruidoso and distribution of wine across New Mexico and the United States.
Noisy Water is a home-grown New Mexico business founded by a 5th-generation farming family. In addition to the winery, tasting rooms, and events barn are vineyards in Rincon and Engle. The company also purchases a variety of grapes from growers across the state supporting other family farms.
The $225,000 economic assistance from the Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) job-creation fund will support a new facility sited on 36 acres in Alto. The expansion will increase bottling production from 35,000 cases to 100,000 cases annually, develop warehouse space, launch an agritourism program, and start an employee housing initiative which will help with local long- and short-term housing needs.
The new investment will create 25 jobs at an average salary of $42,000 and boost the employee count to almost 140. The expansion is expected to have an economic impact of $56 million over 10 years.
The resilient company has survived revenue declines during the COVID pandemic and the 2022 McBride fire that ravaged the mountain communities around Ruidoso. After the fire, Noisy Water partnered with the National Forest Foundation to donate $1 of every bottle of Wild White wine sold to a fund to help with restoration in the Lincoln National Forest and worked with the NM Winegrowers Association to raise additional money for the Smokey Bear Stewardship Fund.
Noisy Water is a community-oriented organization and works to raise money for a variety of nonprofit groups statewide on an annual basis.
“EDD is pleased to assist Noisy Water, a New Mexico-grown company that supports sustainable agriculture and invests in our state,” EDD Deputy Secretary Jon Clark said. “Our rural investments, such as this, provide opportunities so families can have year-round employment without leaving their community.”
“The Economic Development Department has been a great partner for us,” Noisy Water President and CEO Jasper Riddle said. “The LEDA money makes a huge difference when a small business is operating on razor-thin margins while focusing on growing and farming sustainably. It’s nice that these dollars can be reinvested back into a New Mexico business to build a better place to live and work.”
The LEDA assistance will be awarded as the business meets its economic development goals. Lincoln County is the fiscal agent for the project.
"Lincoln County is excited to participate in the New Mexico Economic Development Department’s LEDA program with Noisy Water," County Manager Ira Pearson said. "This state program will help a local business expand operations and allow more Lincoln County residents the opportunity to gain meaningful employment. The county encourages all businesses in Lincoln County to explore the opportunities provided by state and federal economic programs that may help expand their business."