Warmkraft to Invest More Than $16 Million in Mayagüez, Creating 65 Jobs Treating Military Uniforms

A company that has spent two decades chemically treating millions of U.S. Army uniforms has chosen Mayaguez for its next plant. Warmkraft Puerto Rico LLC announced this week an investment of more than $16 million and the creation of roughly 65 jobs at the Guanajibo Industrial Park, with the goal of starting operations before the end of 2026 ¹².

The company, registered with the Puerto Rico Department of State since April 2025, is part of Perimeter Insect Guard, whose insect-repelling impregnation technology has been used on U.S. military uniforms since 2006 ². In Mayaguez, Warmkraft will occupy a 30,774-square-foot facility owned by the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (Pridco) that had sat empty for more than 15 years, according to Pridco executive director Roberto Lefranc Fortuno ¹². The announcement was made alongside Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez Colon and the secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC), Carlos Rios Pierluisi ¹³.

The numbers

Of the total investment, Warmkraft will put nearly $13.7 million ($13,654,200) into machinery and equipment. Of that figure, $3,518,400 will come from incentives under Puerto Rico's Incentives Code, Act 60-2019, and another $162,500 is earmarked specifically for job creation covering the 65 positions ²³. The estimated annual payroll for those jobs is $3.27 million ¹²³. The operation will consist of chemically treating military uniforms through a patented, closed-loop impregnation process designed to repel disease-carrying insects such as those transmitting dengue, malaria and Zika, and it complies with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards ¹². The plant will also incorporate solar infrastructure and laboratory capacity ¹³.

Warmkraft CEO Brandon Graves said that "Puerto Rico represents a strategic opportunity for Warmkraft's growth and for expanding our capacity to support the U.S. defense industry" ². According to Semanario Vision, the company is also evaluating an expansion into commercial textile applications for the hospitality and healthcare sectors once the military operation is up and running ³.

What this means for you

If you live in Mayaguez or the western region, this is not an abstract press release from La Fortaleza: it is roughly 65 real openings expected before year-end in a facility that sat shuttered for more than 15 years. If you are job-hunting in manufacturing, textiles or industrial maintenance, this is a signal to watch for hiring announcements from the company and from DDEC in the coming months. For merchants and suppliers in the Mayaguez-Cabo Rojo-Hormigueros region, an annual payroll of $3.27 million represents new local purchasing power. And if you run a business that serves manufacturers (transportation, security, maintenance, food service), this is another employer worth approaching once it opens.

How to do it / Checklist

1. Follow the official DDEC (desarrollo.pr.gov) and Pridco pages for the formal hiring announcement from Warmkraft, expected before the end of the year.
2. If you are seeking work in manufacturing or textiles, prepare your resume highlighting production experience, quality control, or industrial machinery handling.
3. Register with the Department of Labor and Human Resources (DTRH) and the nearest Employment Center in Mayaguez to receive alerts about openings at new plants.
4. If you run a small service business (industrial cleaning, transportation, food service, security), look into the vendor-registration process with Pridco and DDEC for new operations arriving at the Guanajibo Industrial Park.
5. If you own property or a business near the industrial park, assess whether the arrival of new payroll opens up rental, housing, or commercial opportunities in the area.

What's next

DDEC has indicated that Warmkraft is targeting the start of operations before the end of 2026 ², which would mean a recruitment and training process in the coming weeks. The company also left open the possibility of expanding its business line into commercial textiles for hospitality and healthcare, which could mean additional jobs beyond the 65 announced if that second phase materializes ³. The case adds to a series of recent defense-manufacturing and textile announcements in western Puerto Rico, as the government seeks to show that the island competes for industrial investment tied to U.S. military supply chains.

Sources

1. WIPR — Warmkraft PR LLC establece operaciones en Mayaguez
2. El Nuevo Dia — Nueva manufacturera llega a Puerto Rico
3. Semanario Vision — Warmkraft PR LLC establece operaciones en Mayaguez con inversion de mas de $16 millones y creacion de 65 empleos