ABQ engineering firm relocates and expands

An Albuquerque engineering firm is on the move.

QA Engineering is set to relocate to a new space at 1409 Ortiz Dr. SE and add to its team of 21 by mid-August. The firm's new space consists of 6,800 square square feet with 4,750 square feet of office space and 2,230 for QA Engineering's warehouse.

“With the slim supply of industrial buildings for sale in the Albuquerque market, the location, as well as the contemporary design of this, made it the right property for my client. The layout is primary open office architecture and fits my client’s need perfectly," Shelly Branscom, NAI Maestas & Ward Commercial Real Estate broker, who represented QA Engineering, said in a statement.

Branscom could not immediately be reached for comment.

Robert Quintana, the founder of the firm, said he was attracted to the space because of its close proximity to Kirtland Air Force Base, where QA Engineering does a lot of its business. He said his company outgrew its space at 4700 Lincoln Road NE, both in amount of business and number of employees.

For the past eight months, QA Engineering was on the hunt for a new home. Quintana said only a few of the spaces he visited met the firm's needs.

Quintana wanted to buy a space rather than rent, so the company purchased the 6,800-square-foot space for $763,000, he said. He said the new digs come in good condition that will accommodate QA Engineering's continued growth.

QA Engineering is expected to add one member onto its team and is advertising for another two positions. Quintana didn't have a timeframe to make the hires while eluding to the skills gap Albuquerque has.

Quintana founded QA Engineering in 2008. He attributes his company's growth over the past 10 years to the rebound from the 2008 recession.

NAI Maestas & Ward Commercial Real Estate ranked No. 2 on Business First's List of Largest New Mexico Commercial Real Estate Firms with $193.70 million in commercial transactions value in 2017.