Metro Denver EDC: Measure our success by the company we keep.

A productive year for the Metro Denver EDC

2012 Major Relocations and Expansions


Measure our success by the company we keep.

Arrow Electronics named 2012 Deal of the Year

The Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation named Arrow Electronics the Deal of the Year award winner at its Eighth Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon on May 23, 2012, recognizing the company for its significant economic impact to the region through new job creation and capital investment.

Arrow, a Fortune 140 global electronics manufacturer, announced it would move its corporate headquarters to Metro Denver from Melville, New York., in Nov. 2011. Serving customers in 52 countries and with 2010 sales of $18.7 billion, Arrow Electronics is the largest company to ever call Colorado home.

Colorado's Office of Economic Development and International Trade is also actively recruiting Arrow Electronics' supply chain partners to also locate in Colorado or, at least, start doing business here. The company partners with more than 1,200 suppliers and 115,000 original equipment manufacturers around the world.

Arrow Electronics already employs approximately 1,000 people in the Metro Denver area with plans to add up to 1,250 more jobs in the region in the next five years.

(by date of announcement - most recent first)

Kaiser Permanente announced in December that it will open an information technology (IT) campus in Greenwood Village in January 2013. The company plans to hire 500 IT professionals at the new site by 2015, bringing its total IT workforce in the state to 700.

Sierra Nevada Corporation, a Louisville-based designer and manufacturer of advanced spacecraft, space vehicles, rocket motors and spacecraft subsystems and components for the U.S. Government, commercial customers as well as for the international market will add 79 positions and expand into a 50,000-square-foot space to build its new Dream Chaser spacecraft.

Universal Sports Network will move its production and broadcast operations from California to the Comcast Media Center in Centennial, creating 44 new jobs. The company cited proximity to athletic training centers and winter sports venues as reasons for choosing Colorado.

The Colorado Economic Development Commission (EDC) approved $3.7 million in incentives under Colorado's Job Growth Tax Incentive Credit fund in October for Charles Schwab, one of the nation's leading providers of financial services. The company plans to build a central campus in the region to house its current employee base of 2,000 and an additional 480 new employees to be added by 2017. The expansion includes about $230 million investment in real estate as the company plans to move from leased offices throughout the metro area to a consolidated campus.

iLumen, an Atlanta-based leader in customized business intelligence solutions, announced in November that it would open a sales and marketing office in Denver because of the wealth of franchise companies in the region and state.

Community Power Corporation, based in Littleton, broke ground in October on a new $4.5 million headquarters building in order to double the size of its workforce and house its research and development and manufacturing divisions.

Dish Network announced plans in October to hire 350 service representatives in Thornton and 80 customer resolution specialists in Littleton.

Pearl Izumi USA Inc., a developer of performance gear for outdoor recreation, purchased eight acres in Louisville's Colorado Technology Center in October to build a new 55,400-square-foot headquarters building.

WinWholesale, one of the largest suppliers of residential and commercial construction materials and equipment, announced in October that it is building a 242,000-square-foot distribution center in Aurora, creating 30 jobs.

Great-West Financial announced in October it expects to add 100 new positions over the next 12 months, most of them at its Greenwood Village headquarters. The company, which now markets all its financial, insurance and retirement services under the single brand name, has already added 113 positions at its headquarters since August 2011.

PIXIA Corp., an industry leader in high-performance scalable data access solutions for BIG data, announced in October the opening of a new office in downtown Denver. Virginia-headquartered PIXIA is expanding in Colorado to capitalize on the deep bench of high-tech talent, specifically geospatial experienced software engineers.

Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) announced in October that the company will be opening a new office in the Meridian Corporate Center in Douglas County. The new expansion will create hundreds of new jobs in the area over the next five years. Construction is expected to begin this month on the new 53,000-square-foot building, and employees will move into the new facility in spring 2013. The current employees located at the existing HDS office in downtown Denver will be relocated to the new site.

Smart Balance Inc., the company that bought Denver-based Udi's Healthy Foods, announced in October it will relocate its headquarters to Boulder from New Jersey and change its name to Boulder Brands Inc. The company will create two operating segments: Smart Balance, which will oversee the company's spreads, butter, grocery, and milk products; and Natural Brands, which will have the Udi's, Glutino, and Earth Balance products.

Raymond James Financial Inc. announced in September that it will build a new 40,000-square-foot data center in the Denver area. The company is relocating its data center from St. Petersburg, Fla., siting that the new location in Colorado is well positioned to avoid natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes.

Comcast, the nation's largest cable-television company, announced in September that it will add 250 new positions at its Center of Excellence call center in Denver in order to provide enhanced customer service.

Fidelis Diagnostics, Inc., a rapidly growing healthcare company providing innovative diagnostic services nationally, announced in September the company’s expansion into Colorado with the opening of a new office in Denver.

DaVita announced the opening of a new guest services contact center in Centennial in September. The new facility has brought approximately 100 new jobs to the area.

United Natural Foods, a leading distributor of natural, organic, and specialty foods, announced in September its plans to consolidate four Denver-area distribution facilities into a new state-of-the-art, 535,000-square-foot facility in Aurora.

SEFE, Inc., a company developing products and technologies to improve worldwide access to basic resources such as energy and water, announced in September its plans to build an in-house electroplating/polishing facility at its Boulder headquarters.

RavenBrick, a Denver-based company focusing on windows and energy conservation, will be moving to a new site in October to increase its manufacturing capabilities. The company will move to the Stapleton neighborhood from its current location in lower downtown to a factory that can produce $50 million in revenue with about 80 jobs.

Four biotechnology companies announced plans in August to move into the Bioscience Park Center at the Fitzsimons Life Science District. The startup companies – Mitomics USA, Touch of Life Technologies, Greffex Inc., and Light Labs – are among nearly 40 firms that have opened in the Park. The companies provide many products ranging from antiviral vaccines and prostate cancer diagnostics to software dissection tools and laboratory supplies.

Dasco Inc., an agricultural products company announced in August plans to relocate its headquarters from Monument to Douglas County. The new location can house up to 50 staff members, offering an attractive place to do business and outdoor accessibility to its employees, according to the company.

SurePoint Medical leased space in August for a new a regional office in unincorporated Douglas County. The durable medical equipment company will create a number of new positions.

Sophono Inc., a hearing-device manufacturer, announced in August that it is expanding its manufacturing facilities in Boulder after securing $7 million in funding to support new business and product development.

Tribologix, a firm that develops and supports surface engineering solutions to reduce friction and wear in extreme environments where conventional lubricants do not work, announced on Aug. 30, that it has moved its operations from Dayton, Ohio, to Golden. The company serves a variety of industries including aviation, aerospace, and energy, with plans to hire up to 10 new staff within the coming year.

Gart Capital Partners announced on Aug. 28, plans to move Magellan Travel Supplies from Santa Barbara, Calif. to Metro Denver, creating 74 new jobs. Gart merged Magellan with Colorado Bag'n Baggage in 2011.

The U.S. Department of Commerce's United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced on Aug. 23, that its new Denver regional satellite office will be located in the Byron G. Rogers Federal Building in central Denver. USPTO officials say the office will function as a hub of innovation and creativity, allowing the USPTO to better serve regional entrepreneurs.

RETTEW Associates Inc., an oil and gas engineering firm based in Lancaster, Pa., will open its first western office in Lakewood by mid-September 2012. The firm will service clients involved in some of the nation's busiest plays in North Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado.

Blockbuster, a subsidiary of DISH Network, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 15, at the company's new world headquarters in the Meridian International Office Park in Douglas County. The company will create 150 new positions at the new facility in the next five years.

inetwork, a leading telecommunications company providing scalable voice, 911, and short message services (SMS), announced in August that it has leased additional office space in Denver's LoDo district, expanding its workforce by 50 percent.

FBC Mortgage, LLC announced in August that it would open its second National Operations Center in Centennial. The company will add 50 mortgage professionals at the new office.

Enercon Services, an environmental, engineering, licensing, technical, and management services firm, announced expansion in the region in August with a new office in Golden.

SendGrid, a Boulder-based startup and leader in email deliverability, announced in August that it will open a new office in lower Downtown in September. The LoDo office will supplement the activities of SendGrid's Boulder headquarters and will provide the company with greater access to a major metropolitan city rich in high-tech experience and talent.

ESG Solutions, an industry leader in microseismic technology and services, expanded its Rocky Mountain region operations in August with the relocation of ESG’s regional office to downtown Denver. This new office will serve to support ESG’s growing presence in the microseismic fracture mapping market.

Niagara Bottling announced in July that it will build a $30 million facility in Aurora. About 40 new jobs will be created at the new 177,000-square-foot water bottling plant at Prologis Park 70 near I-70 and E-470.

Woodward leased additional space in Windsor in July to meet project needs for its Engine Systems and Industrial Turbomachinery Systems business groups and potentially other functions for the next three years.

Otterbox, a manufacturer of premier protective solutions for mobile technology, announced on Aug. 1, that it will open a new, 183,000-square-foot facility housing 150 staff in Frederick. The new site will house distribution, customer service, information technology, and additional operational teams. Officials say global growth has driven the company to expand further in Northern Colorado.

Datalogix Inc., a leader in integrating database marketing and digital media, expects to create more than 320 new jobs in the next five years at or near its headquarters in Westminster. The Colorado Economic Development Commission approved on July 18, $4.1 million in job-growth tax credits to the company for its significant expansion in Colorado.

Antero Resources, an oil and gas company headquartered in Denver, announced in July plans to lease space as an anchor tenant in a new 110,000-square-foot, five-story building to be constructed as part of the Union Station redevelopment. The company plans to consolidate 150 of its employees at the new location.

Albeo Technologies, an award-winning manufacturer of LED fixtures, announced in July that it is expanding its manufacturing space in Boulder by 15,000 square feet and is increasing its staffing by 30 percent.

Colorado Premium Foods announced in July 2012 plans to retain workers as well as expand its operations in Denver. The company currently has 185 staff with plans to add up to 300 new jobs.

Intelligent Software Solutions (ISS) opened a new office in Greenwood Village in July. The company chose the location to tap into the region's strong technology workforce. ISS officials say the company will initially employ 15-20 software engineers, project managers, and administrative staff and has openings for 50 additional staff.

Tolmar Inc., a Fort Collins-based pharmaceutical company specializing in urology/oncology, dermatology, and dental products, announced in July that it is expanding its drug manufacturing capabilities into Windsor with the purchase of a 146,000-square-foot facility. Tolmar employs 385 people in Fort Collins and will employ 20 people initially in Windsor, with more hires to come pending FDA approval of several products.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced on July 2, that it has selected Denver as one of three new satellite patent offices to be located across the country. The expansion is expected to bring hundreds of patent examiner jobs as well as a considerable number of related positions, and an anticipated economic impact of $440 million in the first five years of operation.

J. Schneider Elektrotechnik GmbH, a leading manufacturer of industrial power supplies based in Germany, celebrated the grand opening of its new 23,000-square-foot manufacturing center in Denver on June 22. Company officials chose Denver above other cities to globalize the manufacturing base for its three business units: transformers, electric drive service centers, and high-voltage, uninterruptable power supplies.

The National Association for Retail Marketing Services (NARMS International) will relocate its national headquarters from Stevens Point, WI to Broomfield in July. Officials from the association say they chose Broomfield largely because Metro Denver is fast becoming a major hub for corporate headquarters.

Sundyne Corporation, a subsidiary of Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation, broke ground on a new manufacturing facility on June 19, at its Arvada-headquartered facility. Sundyne officials credit heightened demand and orders for its innovative fluid-handling technologies for its growth.

Connextions, a leading technology and business services partner to the healthcare industry and part of UnitedHealth Group's Optum(R) health services business, will create 550 jobs in Centennial when it opens a new solutions center in June.

Famous Brands International, the parent company of the Mrs. Fields cookie chain and TCBY frozen yogurt shops, selected Broomfield in June from among seven potential sites across the country for its new headquarters because of the area's status as a center for franchising and branding expertise. The company will move its headquarters from Salt Lake City into a 9,600-square-foot space at Broomfield’s Arista complex and will initially employ 40 people.

Coleman Co., an international leader in the innovation and marketing of outdoor products, hosted the grand opening of its new global headquarters in Golden on June 11. Coleman relocated its headquarters back to Colorado from Wichita, Kansas.

Xerox announced May 29, the opening of a new customer call center in Greeley that will create 700 permanent and project-based new jobs by the end of the year.

National Bank Holdings Corp. announced on May 18, that it will move its corporate headquarters from Boston to Colorado. Company officials say a "positive business experience, educated workforce, and strategic location" led the company to move its headquarters to Colorado. The company will have offices in Greenwood Village and Denver.

Seagate Technology announced in May that it is expanding its workforce in Longmont. The company has hired 86 new full-time employees this year with 100 additional positions to be added.

Raytheon's Information and Intelligence Systems (IIS) division, based in Aurora, announced in April that it has accelerated hiring as a result of its work on two government satellite contracts totaling $2 billion. Company officials expect to add 100 new employees by the end of 2012.

SEFE Inc., a startup focused on generating power from static electricity, announced on April 16, that it has moved its corporate headquarters from Arizona to Boulder. Company officials say the move serves a strategic purpose, simplifying operations by bringing the headquarters to the company's recently opened Science and Technology Center, also in Boulder.

United Natural Foods announced on April 12, that it will build a $45 million distribution center in Aurora. The company expects to add 500 new positions at the new facility, to be completed by mid-2013.

Cooper Lighting, a division of Ireland-based Cooper Industries and a manufacturer of incandescent florescent and LED lighting for business and consumers, announced on April 17, that it will invest $1.2 million to improve a 190,000-square-foot facility in Aurora, where it expects to create 650 new jobs over the next 10 years.

IMA Financial Group broke ground on its $32 million, five-story building located next to Denver Union Station on April 11. The new headquarters building will allow IMA to grow from about 200 employees in Denver to 300 to 400 over the next 10 to 15 years. Construction is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2013.

The TriZetto Group, a healthcare technology company, broke ground on April 5 for its new 186,000-square-foot, world headquarters building at DTCMeridian in Douglas County. TriZetto officials say rapid growth is driving the company to build the new facility, which will open in the spring of 2013. TriZetto expects to add up to 750 new jobs at the facility within five years.

SCL Health System, announced in March the relocation of its corporate headquarters from Kansas to Metro Denver. SCL will create 750 new jobs over the next four years in Denver and Broomfield.

FedEx SmartPost leased a 200,000-square-foot industrial building at the Aurora Majestic Commercenter in April, with plans to move in by July. Company spokespeople say the larger facility will allow the company to meet higher demand in the region and will likely hire more staff at the new facility.

GE Energy announced in March that it will expand its operations in Longmont by investing $565,000 in an additional 26,000 square feet of space. GE will add 20 additional staff members as a result of the expansion.

Micron Technology, a global manufacturer of advanced solid state semiconductor solutions located in Longmont, announced expansion plans in March for a new engineering and design center where it expects to add 70 new employees.

Covidien PLC, a leading manufacturer of medical devices, opened a new 63,000-square-foot research and development center on March 6, in Boulder. The R&D Innovation Center is one of 24 worldwide, and will have 160 employees and 18 laboratories.

UE Compression, a designer and fabricator of custom gas compression systems, announced expansion plans in March to build a new 100,000-square-foot manufacturing and business operations building in Commerce City, where it will add 65 new employees.

Precast Concepts announced expansion plans in March, by purchasing land adjacent to its existing campus to expand its existing building in Commerce City by 48,000 square feet. The company will add 12 new positions to support its StoneBilt and Distinctive Mold divisions.

Cummins Rocky Mountain LLC announced plans in March to expand its campus in Commerce City by constructing a new 35,000-square-foot facility housing a training center, services center, and a potential manufacturing facility. Cummins plans to add 73 new employees.

ReadyTalk, a leading provider of audio and web conferencing and webinar services, announced on March 1, that it would relocate its headquarters in downtown Denver to new space at the LEED-certified 1900 Sixteenth Street, where it will occupy two floors. The company, which currently employs 140 people, has experienced significant growth, plans to expand to 200 staff members by the end of the year.

Leptron Industrial Robotic Helicopters, a manufacturer of most technologically advanced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industrial helicopters for use in a variety of industries, opened a sales office in Golden in February.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, located in Jefferson County, opened its new GPS III Processing Facility on Feb. 21. The company, which partnered with the U.S. Air Force to invest $80 million in the manufacturing plant, will build up to 32 new GPS III satellites in the next two decades at the 50,000-square-foot plant, and employ up to 100 people at peak production.

The Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters announced in February that it will build a new office and training facility at Stapleton's Enterprise Park in Denver. The organization purchased 13 acres of land, choosing the site due to access to freeways and Denver International Airport.

Southwest Airlines announced in February that it will open a new pilot crew base in October 2012 as well as a new flight attendant crew base in the fourth quarter of 2012 at Denver International Airport. The new crew domicile, to be located on Concourse C, will be home to at least 250 pilots and 400 flight attendants.

Trimble, a leading provider of advanced positioning solutions and GPS technology, announced plans on Feb. 14 to build a 125,000-square-foot building in the Westmoor Business Center in Westminster. The company currently employs 370 people, and Trimble officials say the new building can accommodate up to 550 employees.

Northwestern Mutual - Denver and The Cunningham Financial Group announced on Feb. 2 plans to add nearly 200 new jobs throughout 2012. The new positions include 75 financial representatives and 108 financial representative interns.

Frontier Airlines announced on Jan. 27 that it would move its corporate headquarters from Indianapolis back to Denver. The airline has placed its president and CEO and new senior management team in Denver.

HealthSouth Corporation announced on Jan. 25 its plans to construct a new 49,000-square-foot inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Littleton. The 40-room hospital will employ as many as 90 people by the third year of operation. Officials estimate the construction process will create 300-400 jobs.

DaVita announced on Jan. 27 that it would open its new research center at the St. Anthony Central Hospital campus in Lakewood. Set to open in the third quarter of 2012, the new facility will be used for drug development and to test new products and therapies in the area of kidney dialysis, employing 58 executive and medical professionals. DaVita, a Fortune 500 provider of dialysis services, relocated its headquarters to Denver from California in 2009.

Thornton Tomasetti, an international engineering firm with 25 worldwide offices, announced on January 30 that it opened a new office in downtown Denver. With several projects underway in Denver, the firm located in the region to better serve clients in the western central region and mountain states.

DCL International and H+H Umwelt announced a partnership in January to form AeriNOx Inc., a new environmental engineering company based in Boulder. The new firm will specialize in reducing exhaust gas emissions from industrial processes and stationary engines and boilers operating in the United States and Canada.

HITT Contracting Inc., one of the largest U.S. general contractors, announced in January the company would open a new office in Golden. Building upon its existing base of clients in the Metro Denver region, the company's Colorado office will provide construction services for corporate interiors, mission critical, law firms, hospitality, healthcare, federal, and commercial mixed-use projects. The new Golden office will be the sixth U.S. office opened by HITT Contracting Inc.

Merrill Lynch announced on Jan. 19 that it would locate its Heartland Market headquarters in Denver. The location will allow the company to serve this growing market, which in addition to Colorado, includes Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Teletech announced on Jan. 17 plans to hire more than 500 people at a new customer-support call center in Greeley. The new center will occupy 50,000 square feet in a space formerly occupied by a Kmart store.

NeoMedia Technologies, Inc., announced on Jan. 5 that it would move its corporate headquarters from Atlanta to Boulder. A global leader in mobile barcode scanning solutions, NeoMedia officials said Boulder's growth as a center for high tech and mobile along with a strong agency community will allow the company to grow its business at a local and international level.

Head USA, a marketer of skis, snowboards, and other sports equipment and clothing, announced in January that it will move its Winter Division to Boulder from Norwalk, Conn. The company says Colorado was a natural choice since it has 20 percent of all U.S. skier visits as well as major resorts and retailers. The company will locate 12 employees to Boulder in spring 2012.