A prominent Mexican family that moved to Colorado Springs in 2009 announced plans July 13 to spend $50 million to build a pecan shelling and distribution plant employing 50 people in Peak Innovation Park at the Colorado Springs Airport.
Investment
$50M
Facility Size
70,000 sq. ft.
Avg. Annual Wage
$76,000
A company owned by the Creel family plans a 70,000-square-foot plant on 13 acres in Peak Innovation Park, which also includes distribution facilities for Amazon, Coca-Cola and Frito-Lay, says Luis Creel, who heads the firm. Construction is scheduled to begin in August 2027 and the plant is expected to open in mid-2028.
Ricardo Creel Sr. started a 100-acre pecan orchard on a former cattle ranch in Camargo, Chihuahua, Mexico, in 1992. The orchard has since expanded to 1,050 acres, prompting the family to expand into processing. The family also operates American Beef, a beef processing company in Chihuahua started in 1994 that has grown to employ 750 people and supply major retailers and fast-food chains including Costco, Walmart, McDonald’s and Wendy’s.
“We are not building in Vietnam or Mexico, where it would be cheaper. We are building it here because we want to be here.”
Ricardo Creel Sr.
The family considered expanding in New Mexico or Texas but chose Colorado Springs due to its favorable business climate, available workforce and partnerships with local governments. The announcement was made during the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC‘s annual Boots, Business and Boogie event at the Norris-Penrose Events Center, held the day before the opening of the NFR Open at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo. The Creel family was honored at the event as the Agricultural Business of the Year.
“As a family business, every investment we make is a long-term commitment. Colorado Springs impressed us not just as a great place to do business, but a place where families, businesses and communities grow together,” Creel said. “We are proud to expand our pecan operations here and grateful for the warm welcome we’ve received and support from the city.”
Incentives
The City of Colorado Springs offered the company expedited review and approval for land use applications and building permits, as well as talent and workforce support. The company is also eligible for up to $610,990 in state tax credits and exemptions available in the El Paso County Enterprise Zone, which includes Peak Innovation Park. Luis Creel noted the family did not seek incentives from Colorado Springs or other states, and may additionally qualify for U.S. Department of Agriculture incentives by building the plant in the U.S.
“The Creel family’s decision to expand at Peak Innovation Park is exactly the kind of hometown success story we love to celebrate,” Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade said. “They chose to grow their business in a community that has become home and where they plan their business future. That is what economic development is all about: Helping homegrown businesses stay, expand and create new opportunities.”
Ricardo Creel Sr. and his family moved from Mexico to Colorado Springs in 2009 to escape growing drug gang-related violence in Chihuahua while keeping their businesses in Mexico. He is the great-grandson of Enrique Creel, who controlled vast landholdings and haciendas as well as a major Mexican bank and served twice as governor of Chihuahua and as Mexico’s ambassador to the United States.