Plant Renovation and Industrial Construction in Lovington, New Mexico

A vacant 90,000-square-foot plant can be a faster route to production than new construction, but only if someone looks hard at what is behind the walls. Lovington has an example of exactly that. In March 2020 Big Dog Industries bought the former Lovington Cheese Plant and planned more than $15 million of investment and 125 direct jobs within five years, with the state pledging $750,000 and the City of Lovington $250,000 in incentives. Projects like that depend on a builder who can read an old building honestly.

We take on renovation and adaptive reuse of food, manufacturing and warehouse buildings, and we start with an assessment: roof, slab, drains, utilities, fire protection and the capacity of the structure for new equipment. A plant that was built for one product rarely suits the next one without changes to floors, power and process space.

We also build new industrial space in Lea County. Lovington is the county seat, slightly north of the center of the county at 3,918 feet, with US 82 running through the center of town, NM 18 running 21 miles southeast to Hobbs and NM 83 running 18 miles east to the Texas border. Rail, highway and utility access are the main site questions, and we will tell you early whether an existing building or a new one is the better bet for your product.

What a plant conversion involves

Converting a food plant to another manufacturing use usually begins with demolition and cleanout: removing old process equipment, patching floors, and reconnecting drains. We handle selective interior demolition with care, because the structure often needs to remain intact and a crane or loader can do real damage inside a building.

Then come the systems. Electrical service, refrigeration and ventilation in an older plant are rarely sized for a new tenant, so we survey them and give the owner a staged upgrade plan. Floors that were sloped to drains for washdown may need to be re-sloped or sealed, and roofs get a full inspection before anything else is installed.

Reading an old building before you buy it

If you are still deciding whether to buy a building, we can walk it with you and tell you what we see. A site walk takes only a few hours, yet it can reveal a failing roof membrane, undersized sewer service or a floor with too little cover over its reinforcing steel.

We give owners an order-of-magnitude range for the likely repairs before closing, not a final price. That range lets a buyer negotiate with facts and decide which deferred maintenance is worth taking on. Being honest at this stage costs us bids occasionally, and we accept.

Lenders, property management firms and brokers often ask for this same walk-through when a building changes hands. If the building passes that first look, we then prepare a scope that sorts work into three groups: what must be done before equipment arrives, what can wait until production is running, and what the owner should leave alone. That sorting often saves more money than any single trade price.

Where renovation budgets move

Existing-building budgets move for reasons new-build budgets do not: unknown conditions, code upgrades triggered by the scope, and sequence constraints when part of the building must stay in service. We carry an explicit contingency and report how much has been used at every draw, which keeps surprises small.

Incentives also affect planning. When a state or city pledges money, as happened for the cheese plant, there are usually milestones tied to jobs or investment. We tie our schedule to those dates so the building does not become the reason a commitment is missed.

Codes and approvals on an existing building

Work on an existing structure is reviewed under the New Mexico Commercial Building Code, which adopts the 2021 International Building Code as amended and took effect July 14, 2023. The state also lists a 2021 New Mexico Existing Building Code, and we confirm with the authority which one governs a given scope and how far an alteration triggers upgrades.

The 2021 Commercial Energy Conservation Code (effective January 30, 2024) applies to altered envelope and systems. Fire protection, accessibility and food-safety requirements can each add scope. We list them in the first estimate so the owner sees the whole picture.

Concrete, steel and metal buildings

For new buildings in the industrial park we manage footings, slabs and structural erection, usually in the form of a pre-engineered metal building that suits a manufacturing or storage user. We find that most light industrial users in a market like this are better served by a straightforward shell with room to grow than by an elaborate design.

EnergyPlex Park is described as an industrial park between Hobbs and Lovington, with rail access via the Texas-New Mexico Railroad and no impact fees or inventory taxes. We help owners weigh sites like that against the town's own parks, looking at utilities, rail and the cost to prepare the pad.

Solar, rail and the surrounding land

A 2021 article described a proposed solar farm of 1,350 acres on two parcels at the Lovington industrial park on the Hobbs Highway (NM 18). Large energy sites bring a need for access roads, gravel pads, operations buildings and fencing. The site development and utilities trade partners can build the infrastructure around such a project.

The Texas & New Mexico Railway provides freight service to Lovington, which is the northern terminus of the line. For a user shipping bulk material, that rail connection matters, and we coordinate with the railroad on track work. Owners in Hobbs and Eunice sometimes compare the towns, and we are happy to explain the trade-offs.

Bring us your Lovington building

Whether you are weighing a plant purchase or planning a new shell, send us the address and the use. We will walk it, tell you what we see, and put a schedule and budget range in writing.

Questions Owners Ask

Should I buy an existing plant or build new in Lovington?

It depends on the process. An existing building saves time on structure and utilities, but only if the roof, floor and services are sound and the layout fits your flow. We usually walk the building with the buyer and give a repair range before closing, so the decision rests on facts.

What does it take to convert a food plant for another product?

Cleanout, floor and drain work, electrical and mechanical upgrades, and sometimes a new roof. The biggest unknowns are usually buried: underground utilities, floor condition and refrigeration piping. We investigate them early and phase the work so equipment can be installed as soon as an area is ready.

Do you have experience with the rail line in Lovington?

We coordinate with the railroad on any track or crossing work, and we design truck and rail access together on the pad. The Texas & New Mexico Railway ends in Lovington, so any rail user should confirm service and costs early.

How do local incentives affect my schedule?

Incentives usually require jobs or capital investment by certain dates, so the construction schedule is part of the commitment. We build milestone dates into the plan and report progress against them. If a date is at risk, we will tell you promptly.

Can you build for a solar or energy developer here?

We can build the supporting infrastructure, including roads, pads, operations buildings and fencing. We would need your engineer's design for the equipment itself. Our role is to prepare the site and deliver the buildings on time.

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