FORT COLLINS – Woodward Inc., an independent designer, manufacturer, and service provider of control solutions for the aerospace and industrial markets, plans to move its Duarte, California operations back to their former Colorado headquarter facilities in Fort Collins, bringing with it 300 new jobs.
The largest private employer for Fort Collins, the move is a strategic cost decision in light of Colorado’s broadening appeal as a more cost-efficient and labor-proficient place to operate a business. The relocation will be to the newly renovated 250,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing facility.
“A substantial commitment to build operations in Northern Colorado was made for our new headquarters and manufacturing plant in 2016,” said Tom Gendron, CEO of Woodward, Inc. “Upon analysis of our former facility and evaluation of overall operations, it made sense to move our Duarte, California aerospace operation here. Considering almost every process, the Northern Colorado site is more efficient. We also have an outstanding partnership with AIMS Community College, allowing Woodward to hire and train a workforce with the degree of agility we need to meet production demands.”
Currently, the Duarte facility is unable to support the significant amount of new business recently awarded, including a major TRAS contract with Airbus, while maintaining the highest quality and customer service levels. The state of Colorado also provided incentives for Woodward to add 300 jobs to Colorado in 2016.
“Colorado is a strong hub for the aerospace industry and we love seeing it spread to all parts of the state,” said Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper. “We welcome Woodward’s new jobs and transfers as this decision strengthens Northern Colorado’s economy and supports its drive for innovation and discovery in what is now one of the state’s leading industries.”
The 300 new jobs will range across the board from key managers, to engineers, to product managers and more. Woodward will retain a few key employees from Duarte, but otherwise will be duplicating their California facility in Fort Collins.
