Focused on the Future in New Mexico

Courtesy of Chris Ziomek

Advanced manufacturers in New Mexico are leveraging the state’s resources and talent pool to drive innovation.

As a result, creative solutions are arising for modern-day challenges. For example, Albuquerque startup Build With Robots is tackling workforce demands, while B.PUBLIC Prefab in Santa Fe is developing affordable housing options.

Advocating for Affordable Housing

New Mexico’s growing popularity presents an opportunity to develop innovative affordable housing models for its expanding population. Fortunately, one woman-owned, public-benefit corporation has stepped up to the challenge.

B.PUBLIC Prefab launched in 2019 to make climate-friendly homes more accessible for residents. To do so, the company creates high-performance, prefabricated assemblies that expedite the building process.

Sergio Salvador

“We believe that the shortage in housing is a humanitarian crisis,” says Edie Dillman, CEO and co-founder of B.PUBLIC Prefab. “Building faster, better, responsive housing to address specific and growing needs is urgent, and all effort should be made to create access and affordability.”

Dillman’s company generates insulated wall panels that are assembled into houses and low-rise multifamily buildings. The company also offers floor plans that developers or any potential homeowner can use to design a home.

In addition, the company launched a wall panel that meets the requirements for a single building material that provides all the structure, insulation, and air and weather barriers for the shell of any building from one to three stories high. Introduced at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, this advance in the manufacturing process replaces the time-consuming steps of a site-built project into a single order, delivery and installation.

“Our little company was on the biggest stage for building materials, among 1,800 exhibitors and 76,000 attendees. We were the only company of our kind there and making a big splash,” Dillman says.

She credits collaborative efforts from public and private institutions in New Mexico with jump-starting companies like hers and ensuring businesses have the support they need to succeed. The Job Training Incentive Program, for instance, funds classroom and on-the-job training for newly created jobs in expanding or relocating businesses. The program reimburses 50% to 90% of employee wages, allowing companies like B.PUBLIC Prefab to pay new staff while they’re in training.

“We look to our local and state economic development departments for ideas, advisers, encouragement and opportunities, and we always get their support,” Dillman says. “Innovation and entrepreneurship are a part of the culture of New Mexico. People are very encouraging of new ideas and creating something unique here. We have also been very fortunate to have support from the state in many ways.”

Creating Workforce Tools

Build With Robots produces disinfecting robots that operate alongside workers, increasing their productivity while keeping them safe from pathogens.

Chris Ziomek, CEO of Build With Robots, says his company started with the simple idea of keeping workers safe during the pandemic, but has evolved into automating routine sanitation tasks. This frees up time for employees to focus on more critical projects, relieving at least one aspect of personnel management.

“Our mission is still to bring automation to other companies,” Ziomek says. “We bring technology to other spaces, and we’ve built a really great platform.”

The company’s flagship disinfection robot is a small but effective tool, featuring sensors that monitor disinfection procedures and air quality. The machines produce data and records that can further be trained with artificial intelligence to fine-tune their activities.

Build With Robots’ latest venture is a partnership with Dion’s, a local chain of pizza restaurants with 23 of its 29 locations in New Mexico. Disinfecting robots will be used in the company commissary, ensuring workers will have clean and safe work surfaces.
Ziomek says his company could have launched in Silicon Valley, but because he chose New Mexico, the location has given him a competitive edge.

“The San Francisco Bay area is really expensive, and there are a thousand companies like mine all struggling out there,” Ziomek says.

“I really like living here. I really believe in our community. It’s a perfect size in a lot of ways. I think our advantage is that [New Mexico] is a great place to live. It’s big enough to give you access to amenities you want, but small enough that you’re one or two steps away from someone who can help you grow and create businesses.”