SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A manufacturer of plastic packaging used for medical equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic plans to build its next factory in southern New Mexico.

Prent Corp. will invest $12.5 million into the project and create 85 new jobs, according to a release from the Borderplex Alliance.

?“Southern New Mexico is brimming with opportunity,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said. “The growth potential here is limitless. These good-paying jobs are proof positive that New Mexico is known around the country as business-friendly and a great place to invest right now.”

Construction of the plant in Santa Teresa, Doña Ana County, is still pending approval. It could be up and running by the fall of 2021, according to the Borderplex Alliance.

“Prent Corporation’s opening will add a substantial number of good-paying jobs to Doña Ana County,” County Commission Chair Lynn Ellins said. “Santa Teresa is an excellent location for contributing to Prent’s success. This is especially good news to receive in the midst of a pandemic.”

Designed to build sterile barrier packages for medical devices, the plant would be equipped with stringently regulated clean rooms.

The Janesville, Wisconsin-based company has partnered with medical companies during the pandemic to ship personal protective equipment such as face shields, according to Boston Scientific Corp.

The Borderplex Alliance promotes cross-border business interests in the tri-state, bi-national border region encompassing Las Cruces, New Mexico; El Paso, Texas; and Chihuahua, Mexico.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.