Intel did it in the 1980's and 90's. Rio Rancho officials are counting on computer giant Hewlett-Packard to do it starting next year. The construction and opening of HP's 218,000 square-foot customer and technical support center in Rio Rancho will jump start local economic activity much the way Intel's massive chip-making plant did here 20 years age.

Hewlett-Packard has said it will provide 1,300 high-tech, high-pay jobs when it opens a year from now. The company expects to break ground next month. Employees will do sales and provide technical support for HP products ranging from notebook computers to desktops, from servers to hand-held devices. Most employees will be hired locally.

The company has pledged to create 1,300 sales and technical support jobs by 2013 and 1,800 within 15 years. Most of the jobs will offer an annual salary starting at $40,000. Rio Rancho will be the largest of 3 U.S. sites where HP will consolidate operations supporting 10 divisions, including its PC, computer server and printer business lines. The other sites are in Georgia and Arkansas.

HP will begin construction on the 3 story center in January and hopes to open by Dec 20, 2009. The center will be on a 17 acre site in the City Center area, nortwest of the Santa Anna Star Center. Central New Mexico Community College and the University of New Mexico plan to open a campus nearby in 2010.

HP, based in Palo Alto Ca. reported net revenue of $28 billion for the third quarter of 2008, a 10% increase over the same period in 2007