SANDOVAL COUNTY, N.M., September 9th, 2026: Castelion’s Project Ranger has been named the 2026 Collaborative Impact Project of the Year during the New Mexico IDEA Economic Development Excellence Awards at the Governor’s Conference on Economic Development last week.
The award recognizes one of New Mexico’s most significant recent economic development wins. Project Ranger is a 1,000-acre hypersonic manufacturing campus under development in Sandoval County. Castelion plans to invest more than $220 million in the campus, create more than 300 high-paying manufacturing jobs and generate an estimated $650 million in economic output for New Mexico over the next decade.
The campus will support high-cadence production of hypersonic strike systems, including solid rocket motor manufacturing, static testing and final assembly. The project strengthens the domestic defense industrial base while reinforcing New Mexico’s growing position as a national center for advanced manufacturing, defense technology and innovation.
“Project Ranger demonstrates what is possible when regional collaboration, local leadership and a nationally significant opportunity come together,” said Chad Matheson, president and CEO of the Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance. “This is more than a major business recruitment win. It is an investment that will create meaningful careers, expand advanced manufacturing capacity and position Sandoval County and the Greater Albuquerque region to play an even greater role in our nation’s security. Being recognized as Collaborative Impact Project of the Year is a tremendous honor for every organization and individual who helped bring this project to New Mexico.”
Castelion selected Sandoval County following a competitive national site search. The company cited New Mexico’s technical talent, infrastructure and history of scientific achievement among the factors behind its decision. Local and regional collaboration was essential to securing the investment, with leadership and support from Sandoval County, the City of Rio Rancho, AREA, Sandoval Economic Alliance, the New Mexico Economic Development Department and other state, federal and infrastructure partners.
“Project Ranger represents the type of transformational investment that can shape a community’s economy for generations,” said Wayne Johnson, Sandoval County manager. “Sandoval County approached this opportunity with urgency, creativity and a commitment to being a true partner. This recognition affirms that rural communities can successfully compete for sophisticated, high-value projects when they are prepared to move decisively.” Castelion broke ground on Project Ranger in January 2026. The campus is being developed to enable the rapid and scalable production of advanced long-range systems, helping restore critical American manufacturing capacity and strengthen the nation’s conventional deterrence capabilities.
The Collaborative Impact Project of the Year recognition was presented during the 2026 Governor’s Conference on Economic Development, held Sepyember 2nd and 3rd at Isleta Resort & Casino. The annual conference brings together economic development professionals, business leaders and public officials from across New Mexico.