Colorado Leads World In Aerospace Employment As New Company Moves In
WESTMINSTER, Colo. (CBS4) - Colorado is continuing to lead the world in aerospace after Maxar Technologies announced Wednesday it would move its corporate headquarters to Westminster.
"We think there's a significant opportunity to be a much bigger employer over time, and accessing talent was a big part of that, and so we feel real good about this area being able to continue to attract really great talent," said Howard Lance, the President and CEO of Maxar Technologies.
"This is a great day for Colorado. The kind of day that puts a smile on a governor's face all day long," said Gov. John Hickenlooper. "When companies choose to move here that's a validation of love of place. If people don't love a place, they won't invest themselves in it."
Maxar bought Westminster-based DigitalGlobe last year. The company now oversees commercial satellites, space robotics and digital imaging.
It is expecting to hire about 800 people over the next decade in Colorado, as DigitalGlobe expands. DigitalGlobe currently has about 1,000 employees in Colorado.
"I want companies, their whole culture is based on innovation. They're the companies that will keep coming up with new ideas," Hickenlooper said. "It also says we have more talent here and that people are more productive and they're balanced."
Colorado is home to 400 aerospace companies with about 28,000 employees in the field.