BLOOMFIELD, N.M. – The world’s largest carbon cleanup company now has a footprint in New Mexico. It’s a move the governor touted in her State of the State address.

When it comes to jobs, it’s some welcome good news for the Four Corners. The Calgon Carbon Corp. is now in Bloomfield after purchasing two existing business. 

Calgon Carbon will use the locations to help build water purifying systems that will be shipped across the country.

Bloomfield Machine and Welding, a locally owned business that’s been around since the 1980s.

“What they did, they built vessels for the oil and gas industry, pressure vessels, so now they will continue to build vessels but for the purification of water,” said George Duncan-Bloomfield, city manager.  

Calgon Carbon says it will use state-of-the-art equipment to fill huge containers built here with activated carbon. That will pull out harmful PFAS chemicals, eventually leaving the clean water to filter through.  

PFAS, or so-called forever chemicals, can cause everything from high cholesterol to cancer. 

For Bloomfield and the rest of the Four Corner, the new mission means more jobs to a part of the state that needs them after the closure of the San Juan Generating Station.

“Calgon Carbon kept all of their current employees, and they’re going to expand their employment base,” said Duncan.   

Calgon Carbon plans to hire nine more full-time employees in 2024, and 16 over the next several years. 

“Well I would think they have painters, fabricators, welders, certainly they’ll have an engineer maybe more on site,” said Duncan. 

And it’s clear members of the community are more than happy so see Calgon Carbon in the neighborhood.

“It’s a big change, a positive change,” said Sosi Lewis, a Calgon Carbon employee. “More opportunity for me and others that are applying for the company itself.”