Why this project qualifies
With $220 million in facility-specific investment and 300 permanent operating jobs announced, this project clears both of AFT's qualifying thresholds ($100 million in facility-specific investment OR 100 permanent operating jobs). This project also meets AFT's primary-source verification and physical U.S. manufacturing-footprint requirements.
View full methodology →Why it matters
The aerospace context.
US aerospace demand is being driven simultaneously by record commercial-aircraft backlogs and a Department of Defense modernization cycle covering bombers, ICBMs, submarines, and hypersonics. Most projects in this category are constrained by skilled-labor availability — welders, composite technicians, machinists — rather than by capital.
Project record
At a glance
- Company
- Castelion
- Industry
- Aerospace
- Location
- Rio Rancho, New Mexico
- Investment
- $220.0M
- Permanent jobs announced
- 300
- Status
- Under Construction
- Announced
- Jan 1, 2026
- Opening timeline
- Not yet announced
- Added to tracker
- Oct 5, 2026
Sources
Official references
- New Mexico EDD: Castelion breaks ground on Project Ranger in Rio Rancho, creating 300 high-paying jobs https://edd.newmexico.gov/press-releases/castelion-breaks-ground-on-project-ranger-in-rio-rancho-creating-300-high-paying-jobs/
- Castelion: Project Ranger groundbreaking https://www.castelion.com/news/project_ranger_groundbreaking/
Related
Other projects to know
In New Mexico
Back to the tracker/projects/castelion-project-ranger