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Belen Business Overview

Labor Snapshot

  • Labor force size: 31,330 (Valencia County, 2009.)
  • Unemployment rate: 9.0% (12/09); 7.7% (2009 average)
  • Median age: 35.3

Major belen employers

Employer

# of Employees

Belen Public Schools

740

Wal-Mart Super Center

500

Ambercare Home Health Services

450

Sud Chemie Performance Packaging

200

BNSF Rail Road

352

Artistech Acrylics, Inc

135

City of Belen

130

UNM - Valencia Campus

101

Adelante Development

96

Wells Fargo Bank

85

Ranchers State Bank

80

 Sisneros Bros. Manufacturing

50

Utilities 

Public Service Company of New Mexico provides Belen with electric services. (505) 241-2700.  New Mexico Gas Company provides Belen with its natural gas services. 

The City of Belen supplies well water with a capacity of 5.5 million gallons per day and sewage disposal capacity of 1.2 million gallons per day. The plant has an expansion capacity for a population of 24,000. (505) 864-8221

The nearby Rio Communities can draw on the 3.9 million gallons per day capacity of wells owned by New Mexico Water Company, which has a sewage treatment capacity of 200,000 gallons per day. (505) 865-0945.

Qwest and McCleod Telecommunications provide phone service to the Belen area. In addition, Bandwidth.com sells Voice over Internet Protocol, and several other providers offer high-speed broadband capabilities, including Comcast (digital cable).

Transportation 

With over 100 trains passing through Belen on a daily basis, the town has a robust infrastructure for rail-based shipping. It is located just a few hours north of the Santa Teresa Port of Entry with Mexico, and has three improved exits on Interstate 25, which runs from Mexico to the northern Rockies, crossing several major east-west interstates (including I-40 in Albuquerque) along the way. Belen Alexander Municipal Airport serves general aviation airplanes, small jets and private planes. The City of Belen is currently working on a multi-million dollar expansion of the airport, which will include the addition of a crosswind runway, expansion of the existing runway and development of industrial/commercial sites. In February 2007, Belen started its commuter rail service with the NM Rail Runner Express, which now services the corridor including Belen and points north to Santa Fe.  The Rail Runner operates 6 days a week providing service for workforce and tourists along the Central New Mexico region.