Staff FPGA Design Engineer

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.