Category: Community

CARLSBAD, NEW MEXICO — Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, LLC (SIMCO) announced today the company is now accepting grant proposals from non-profit agencies throughout Eddy and Lea Counties for its 2026 Employee Investment Advisory Committee program. The program is now in its fourth year.

In 2025, the program awarded $75,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations to enrich the lives of people in Southeast New Mexico.

The program’s 2026 funding priorities are:
– Arts & Culture/Community Vitality
– Children, Youth, and Families
– Food Security
– Health & Human Services

The online application is available at https://simco-llc.us/investment-advisory-committee/. Applications can be mailed, or hand delivered, and are due Monday, August 31, 2026, by 5:00 p.m. mountain time.

For questions, please contact Ekta Bhakta, SIMCO Community Relations & Charitable Giving at (832) 689-1049 or ekta.bhakta@wipp.doe.gov.

About the SIMCO Employee Investment Advisory Committee

The Employee Investment Advisory Grant Fund mission is to allocate company-funded grants, where the need is greatest, using the collective skills and knowledge of SIMCO’s employees to make a positive impact in the communities where they live and work.

The Employee Investment Advisory Committee is representative of SIMCO’s diverse workforce and comprised of selected non-managerial employees who have been recognized for their leadership qualities by both their managers and peers. This innovative approach gives SIMCO’s employees direct influence where a portion of the company’s charitable contributions are made, extending funding across a wider array of regional nonprofit organizations.

About SIMCO

SIMCO is the management and operations contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). SIMCO’s member is Bechtel National Inc., and our WIPP team includes Los Alamos Technical Associates as a New Mexico-based teaming subcontractor.

As a major employer, SIMCO understands the importance of investing in the region’s near- and long-term success by being a positive, proactive member of the community; participating in socioeconomic development; and making investments in social and philanthropic programs for the betterment of the residents of Southeastern New Mexico.

Third year of employee-driven charitable giving program brings total committee investment to $200,000

CARLSBAD, N.M. ̶ Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, LLC (SIMCO) announced it has awarded $75,000 in grants to 11 non-profit organizations serving Eddy and Lea counties. The grants were presented during a reception ceremony celebrating the third year of SIMCO’s innovative employee-driven charitable giving program. Since its inception, the SIMCO Employee Investment Advisory Committee has now distributed a total of $200,000 to twenty different non-profit organizations across the region, demonstrating the company’s sustained commitment to community investment.

“I firmly believe our employees have always been, and will continue to be, our most important asset—not only to fulfill WIPP’s national cleanup mission, but also in sharing their time, talents, and expertise to improve our local communities,” said Ken Harrawood, SIMCO’s President and Program Manager. The committee is comprised of 12 nonmanagerial employees who have been recognized for their exceptional leadership qualities by both managers and peers.

At the beginning of each grant cycle, the committee identifies funding priorities based on the assessment of the most pressing community needs. This year’s focus areas are food security, literacy, public health and safety, and STEM Education. The mission of the SIMCO Employee Investment Advisory Committee’s to allocate company-funded grants where the need is greatest, using the collective skills and knowledge of the employees to make a positive impact in the communities where they live and work.

“This approach allows us to support a wider array of organizations than traditional corporate giving and ensures our contributions reflect genuine community needs,” said Bobby St. John, SIMCO’s External Communications Manager. This program represents SIMCO’s commitment to community partnership and demonstrates how employee engagement in charitable giving can create meaningful, targeted impact in local communities.

The 11 grant recipients are: CARC Inc., Carlsbad Transitional Housing and Homeless Shelter, Cissy’s Food Pantry, Leaders Inc., My Power, Packs for Hunger, Palmer Drug Abuse Program, Permian Basin Counseling & Guidance, Sodality Foundation, Southeast New Mexico Community Action Corporation, and Weekend Hunger Initiative (WHI) Hobbs.