When people think of Colorado and the Defense and Aerospace industry, many consider Colorado Springs, the hub, as it hosts multiple military bases (5 to be specific) and has a strong military-related industrial base. Or perhaps, Denver, as it also hosts a number of space and aerospace-related commercial and Government Contractor companies, i.e. Sierra Space, York Space, Capella Space, Maxar, Blue Origin, Advanced Space, Boom Aviation, United Launch Alliance, Lockheed Martin, and many others, as well as Buckley Space Force Base.
However, there is an emerging sibling to the North, i.e. the Fort Collins/Larimer & Weld County region, which is quickly becoming yet another Defense and Aerospace hub. Many startup companies, manufacturers, and established space and aerospace companies are establishing themselves in “NOCO”, and there is the Greeley Space Force Base and near-by F.E. Warren Air Force Base, a few miles to the North in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
In addition to the many companies supporting the Defense and Aerospace industry, there are two major Universities, i.e. Colorado State University and Northern Colorado State University, as well as the University of Wyoming, just to the North, and multiple Community Colleges, and there are several Technology Accelerators, quickly establishing themselves as innovation hubs, i.e. the Forge Campus in Loveland, Innosphere and Colorado State University Strata in Fort Collins, gBeta in Greeley, and the Wyoming Innovation Center. These campuses, like the Catalyst Campus in Colorado Springs, offer startup companies facilities and support services to begin their journey in the Defense and Aerospace Industries.
The Small Business Administration’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and the Department of Defense (DOD) APEX Accelerators have offices in the NOCO region. There is also the newly minted Northern Colorado Defense and Aerospace Group (NCDAG), the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) and the Northern Colorado Manufacturing and Health Care Sector Partnerships (NOCO Manufacturing Partnership), which host events.
Additionally, there is the Northern Colorado Regional Economic Development Initiative (NoCo REDI), an initiative between Larimer and Weld Counties to increase Northern Colorado’s economic growth, resilience, and improve the business ecosystem, the formally established Northern Colorado Economic Alliance (NCEA) and OneNOCO with the goal of attracting and stimulating relevant economic opportunity and job growth for the region.
While still emerging, the NOCO Defense and Aerospace Ecosystem is starting to tip the Defense and Aerospace industry scale from a Southern Colorado (SOCO) focus to the North (NOCO) with opportunities and room grow! When considering a location for your startup or established company, consider NOCO, and join the movement!
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