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Gov. Polis helps cut the ribbon on new Ursa Major Longmont facility. The Berthoud-based aerospace company's latest expansion may add up to 1,800 new jobs. By Joan Cullen Gov. Jared Polis joined Ursa Major CEO Chris Spagnoletti on Thursday, Aug. 20, to cut the ribbon at the Berthoud-based aerospace company's newest facility in Longmont. The burgeoning aerospace business now has a total of six locations: Berthoud, Galeton and Longmont in Colorado; Youngstown and Boardman in Ohio; and Washington, D.C. Before the event began, Ursa Major executives shared details about the new facility with attendees. They said avionics and in-space propulsion teams will work at the Longmont site, and that employees have been slowly moving into the new space over the last few months. "We're not making any energetics here," Pete Wolt, assistant director of business development, said. Solid Missile Systems President Jason Merdith interjected to put that in layman's terms. "No things that go boom," he quipped. Ursa Major opens major expansion in Longmont After a welcome from Savanah Bray, Ursa Major's head of marketing and communications, a jubilant Spagnoletti greeted the crowd and thanked Polis for coming to help celebrate the milestone. Spagnoletti said the new space in Longmont provides "more than 125 seats" for the company's avionics and in-space propulsion system teams and will also house some corporate personnel, like the finance department. The CEO is excited about the new 25,000-square-foot building, noting that it has dedicated welding and manufacturing labs, an ISO 7 hard-walled clean room with an ISO 8 gowning room, and an environmental test lab. "That means we can do a lot of testing on-site, under our control, which is a big deal," Spagnoletti explained. On a site tour after the ceremony, Spagnoletti also shared that Ursa Major has the only reusable hypersonic test engine in the United States. Moving at hypersonic speed While there's great excitement for the Longmont facility, Ursa Major is not abandoning its Berthoud site, which is the company's headquarters. "We're clearing out floor space to create more room for manufacturing our hypersonic all-up rounds, liquid engines and solid rocket motors," Spagnoletti said about the Berthoud location. Spagnoletti then introduced Polis. "He brings his passion for innovation into his work as governor." Spagnoletti continued, "Under his leadership, Colorado continues to lead the way at the epicenter of the aerospace economy, fostering an ecosystem where innovation and entrepreneurship thrive." "We are number one in aerospace," Polis said about Colorado. He then drew laughter from the crowd when he joked that the reason for that is "we're a mile closer to space." The governor went on to describe Colorado as "a centerpiece of that aerospace ecosystem." Polis praised Ursa Major for adding "good jobs that will support families," noting that the company's growth will add up to 1,800 new positions in Colorado. More rocket scientists needed Ursa Major's exponential growth is requiring the company to acquire talent at a fast pace. "We are hiring rapidly across the board," Bray said, adding that the company currently has over a hundred job openings posted on its website. Ursa Major already employs 300 people at its facilities in Colorado. "The reality is that we could have expanded this site to many places, but our team and the talent are here in Longmont and Colorado," Spagnoletti said, proudly adding that Ursa Major employs "American workers building American hardware from right here in Colorado." Ursa Major's President of Liquid Systems, Kip Freeman, echoed the sentiment. "The location here is good for getting that kind of talent," he said, speaking of the company's avionics and in-space propulsion specialists. $35 million in tax credits for Ursa Major The governor was joined at the ribbon-cutting by members of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. In a press release, OEDIT reported that the Economic Development Commission approved up to $35,360,763 in a performance-based job growth incentive tax credit for Ursa Major over eight years. The company could be eligible to convert up to $23 million of the award into refundable tax credits, which would be returned at 80%, or up to $18.4 million, provided it meets "specific net new job creation and salary requirements." OEDIT Executive Director Eve Lieberman said Ursa Major's expansion "underscores the strength of our state's business climate and Colorado's status as a global leader in aerospace and defense." She continued, "Our state is home to more than 2,000 aerospace companies representing 24% growth over the last five years, and we are thrilled to support Ursa Major's growth in this very key Colorado industry."

Ursa Major has opened a new manufacturing facility in Longmont, Colorado, with capacity for more than 125 employees. The facility will produce avionics and in-space propulsion systems, featuring dedicated welding and manufacturing labs, an ISO 7 clean room, and an environmental test lab. The expansion allows Ursa Major to increase production of liquid engines, vehicle integration, and solid rocket motors at its Berthoud headquarters. CEO Chris Spagnoletti said the move addresses urgent customer demand, noting that the company's in-space propulsion delivers orbital maneuverability faster than legacy suppliers. Colorado Governor Jared Polis attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony on 20 August. Ursa Major now operates six sites across Colorado, Ohio, and Washington, D.C., following a Phase 1 manufacturing expansion completed in March.

Ursa Major opens new Longmont manufacturing facility. Expansion seats more than 125 employees for avionics and in-space propulsion systems, and opens additional hypersonics and solid rocket motor capacity in Berthoud, CO. Aug 20, 2026 LONGMONT, Colo. - August 20, 2026 - Ursa Major today opened a new manufacturing facility in Longmont, Colorado, expanding production of avionics and in-space propulsion systems and increasing manufacturing space at the Berthoud, CO HQ to meet urgent customer demand. The Longmont facility has capacity to seat more than 125 employees, and features dedicated labs for welding and manufacturing, an ISO 7 hard-walled clean room with an ISO 8 gowning room, and an environmental test lab. "We're opening this Longmont facility because the demand is here now. Avionics run through every system we build, and our in-space propulsion delivers maneuverability on orbit faster than the legacy supply base can," said Chris Spagnoletti, CEO, Ursa Major. "Moving that work here opens also the floor in Berthoud for liquid engines, vehicle integration, and solid rocket motors the warfighter is asking for at rate. Ursa Major continues to expand to ensure our service members and customers have the capabilities they need when they need it." Ursa Major avionics systems are critical to the Company's full portfolio, while Ursa Major's integrated in-space propulsion systems - tanks, thrusters, and full systems - provide maneuverability on orbit and competitive delivery timelines. The expansion also allows Ursa Major's hypersonics and solid rocket motor programs to grow. Consolidating avionics and in-space production, as well as other support functions, in Longmont opens additional manufacturing floor at the company's Berthoud headquarters for liquid engine production, vehicle integration, and all-up-round assembly for the Hadley and Draper engines and the HAVOC Missile System, and a growing solid rocket motor portfolio manufactured in both Berthoud and Galeton, CO. The August 20th ribbon-cutting ceremony brought together customers, state and local officials, employees, and industry partners. Spagnoletti welcomed guests, followed by Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who addressed Colorado's aerospace economy and its growing national defense industrial base. "Ursa Major's expansion in Longmont highlights Colorado as a global leader in aerospace and defense. 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," said Governor Polis. This ribbon cutting follows the Phase 1 manufacturing scale Ursa Major completed in March, which increased machining capacity, increased SRM test stand operations, and expanded additive manufacturing operations. Ursa Major now has six sites: Berthoud, Longmont, and Galeton, Colorado; Youngstown and Boardman, Ohio; and Washington, D.C. About Ursa Major Ursa Major is an aerospace and defense company delivering flight-proven capabilities for hypersonics, solid rocket motors, and space mobility. Headquartered in Berthoud, Colorado, with additive manufacturing operations in Youngstown, Ohio, Ursa Major leverages advanced production techniques and flexible architectures to build systems for all domains: land, air, sea, and space. The company is revitalizing the defense industrial base for the U.S. and its allies, flying faster to accelerate delivery of critical capabilities where speed and adaptability matter most. For more information, visit www.ursamajor.com.