Big-beer company’s move points to improved economy

Another sign that Albuquerque’s economy may be recovering from the recession – the biggest industrial construction project in years.

Admiral Beverage Corporation, a major beer and soft drink distributor, plans to build a new 219,000 square-foot warehouse at Rio Bravo and Prince in the South Valley. It will be the biggest industrial construction job since the Tempur-Pedic plant in 2007.

Admiral used to be Maloof Distributing, so we’re talking Big Beer here – Coors, Miller, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Corona, Heineken. Also Red Bull. All of it currently comes through the old 75,000 square-foot Maloof warehouse on Comanche near I-25. The new one on Rio Bravo will be three times bigger.

Construction will employ many local workers, and Admiral will be hiring about 20 more employees to join the 185 it already has working in Albuquerque.

The Wyoming-based company employs about 350 people statewide, with operations in Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Farmington and Roswell