Ursa Major Expansion Could Bring 1,850 Jobs to Northern Colorado

Berthoud-based aerospace manufacturer opens Longmont plant as it scales defense, propulsion and missile production

By North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com

LONGMONT, Colo. — One of Northern Colorado’s homegrown aerospace and defense manufacturers is embarking on a major expansion that could create as many as 1,850 new Colorado jobs, while adding production capacity in Longmont and freeing additional manufacturing space at its Berthoud headquarters.

Berthoud-based Ursa Major opened its new Longmont manufacturing facility Aug. 20, marking another step in a broader expansion of the company’s production of propulsion, hypersonic and solid rocket motor systems.

The Longmont operation has capacity for more than 125 employees and will concentrate production of avionics and in-space propulsion systems. Moving that work to Longmont will also make more manufacturing space available at Ursa Major’s Berthoud headquarters for other rapidly growing programs.

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade said Ursa Major’s overall expansion plans are poised to create up to 1,850 jobs in the state.

“Ursa Major’s expansion in Longmont highlights Colorado as a global leader in aerospace and defense,” Gov. Jared Polis said. “We are thrilled to see this innovative company grow and succeed in our state, bringing thousands of high-quality jobs for Coloradans that will strengthen our economy and drive even more businesses to call Colorado home.”

Longmont Expansion Makes Room for Berthoud Growth

The Longmont facility represents more than additional office space.

It includes dedicated welding and manufacturing laboratories, an ISO 7 hard-walled clean room with an ISO 8 gowning room, and an environmental testing laboratory.

Ursa Major says avionics produced there are used across its product portfolio. The company’s integrated in-space propulsion systems include tanks, thrusters and complete systems designed to give spacecraft maneuverability while in orbit.

The shift also has an important effect about 15 miles north in Berthoud.

Consolidating avionics, in-space propulsion production and other support functions in Longmont opens additional manufacturing floor space at Ursa Major’s Berthoud headquarters for liquid engine production, vehicle integration and all-up-round assembly.

That includes work involving the company’s Hadley and Draper engines and HAVOC Missile System, along with its expanding solid rocket motor portfolio. Solid rocket motor manufacturing is taking place in both Berthoud and Galeton.

“We’re opening this Longmont facility because the demand is here now,” Ursa Major CEO Chris Spagnoletti said.

Spagnoletti said moving avionics and in-space propulsion work to Longmont allows Ursa Major to dedicate more of its Berthoud manufacturing floor to liquid engines, vehicle integration and solid rocket motors needed by military customers.

“Colorado is home to Ursa Major. It’s where we safely design, test, and build, and where our people work every day to keep America ahead,” Spagnoletti said in the state’s announcement. “We’re grateful for Colorado’s partnership and support as we expand.”

Expansion Follows Earlier Manufacturing Push

The Longmont opening isn’t Ursa Major’s first major manufacturing expansion this year.

In March, the company completed the first phase of a manufacturing scale-up that increased machining capacity, expanded solid rocket motor test stand operations and increased additive manufacturing capabilities.

Ursa Major now operates six sites nationwide: Berthoud, Longmont and Galeton in Colorado; Youngstown and Boardman in Ohio; and Washington, D.C. Its headquarters remains in Berthoud.

The company currently employs more than 360 people, including approximately 300 in Colorado.

Ursa Major describes its business as producing flight-proven capabilities for hypersonics, solid rocket motors and space mobility. Its systems are designed for applications across land, air, sea and space.

Colorado Approves Millions in Incentives

The scale of the planned employment growth has also attracted significant state economic-development support.

Colorado’s Economic Development Commission approved up to $35.26 million in performance-based Job Growth Incentive Tax Credits over eight years for Ursa Major’s expansion.

The company can elect to convert as much as $23 million of that award into refundable tax credits. Those credits would be refunded at 80% of their value, making them worth up to approximately $18.4 million.

The incentives are not automatic. They are contingent on Ursa Major meeting specific requirements for net new job creation and salaries.

During the state’s review process, the expansion efforts were known under the project names Ladybug and Fluorine.

OEDIT Executive Director Eve Lieberman said Colorado is now home to more than 2,000 aerospace companies, a figure the state says represents 24% growth over the past five years.

“Ursa Major’s expansion in Berthoud underscores the strength of our state’s business climate and Colorado’s status as a global leader in aerospace and defense,” Lieberman said.

Raymond H. Gonzales, president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, said the investment also demonstrates Colorado’s ability to move beyond aerospace research and development into large-scale production.

“Ursa Major’s investment demonstrates that Colorado is not only a place where aerospace companies innovate, but where they manufacture, grow and build for the long term,” Gonzales said.

For Northern Colorado, the expansion puts a significant portion of that manufacturing growth directly along the Front Range, with Berthoud serving as Ursa Major’s headquarters and a center for engine, missile and rocket motor work while Longmont takes on expanded avionics and space propulsion production.

More information about the Longmont facility and Ursa Major’s expansion is available from Ursa Major.

Sources: Ursa Major; Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade