Denver South is host to a wide variety of sectors. We’d like to give you an introduction to some of the industries in the region and the key companies within them. We are starting with Aviation & Aerospace in Denver South.
Aviation and aerospace are important industries in Colorado; the state boasts the nation’s second-largest aerospace economy. At the end of last year, there were around 58,000 people employed in the aerospace industry, working across more than 500 companies and suppliers providing space-related products and services. Moreover, the sector is growing. According to Lockheed Martin Space Executive Rick Ambrose, the aerospace industry will be worth more than $1 trillion by 2040. Lockheed Martin Space is just one of the many aerospace companies located in Denver South, and Lockheed Martin already employs over 11,000 workers in Colorado as a whole.
Denver South is perfectly positioned to take advantage of this sector’s growth. There are 190 aviation and aerospace companies in the region and they are flourishing – overall they saw 39.6% growth between 2015 and 2020. The Colorado Front Range is already ranked first in the nation for its concentration of private aerospace jobs and Denver South alone claims almost twenty percent of all aerospace employment in the nine-county Metro Denver and Northern Colorado region. Moreover, many of these are small, innovative companies doing great things – 72.2% have fewer than 10 employees.
Within aviation and aerospace in Denver South, there is real variety. The aerospace companies in the region range from defense technology companies such as BAE Systems, Sierra Nevada Corporation, and Liteye Systems to launch system experts like United Launch Alliance and UP Aerospace.
Of course, Centennial Airport is an aviation powerhouse in its own right, as well as a crucial transport hub for the CEOs and VPs of the region’s business community, just a short drive away. Around this hub, there are dozens of aviation companies like Jeppesen, A Boeing Company, and air medical transport company Air Methods Corp.
In particular, two fledgling local airplane manufacturers, Boom Supersonic and Bye Aerospace, specializing in supersonic and all-electric aircraft respectively, have seen exciting success this year. United Airlines intends to purchase 15 of Boom Supersonic’s ‘Overture’ airliners. Slated to carry passengers in 2029, the net-zero carbon aircraft will fly on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). In addition, North Carolina-based Jet It and JetClub have agreed to become the launch customers for Bye Aerospace’s all-electric, twin-turboprop aircraft, eFlyer 800.
If you would like to find out more about what is happening in Colorado’s high-growth industries, including Aviation and Aerospace, join us on Thursday, September 16 for RIoT LXII: Colorado Tech Showcase. Attend from 5-7 pm to hear from inspiring speakers and industry experts who work in Aerospace, Aviation, Engineering Services, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Digital Communication, Finance, Advanced Manufacturing, and more. View live demonstrations and engage in high-quality networking at the newly renovated Thrive Coworking Space in Centennial, CO. You can register for this free event now.
