Voyager Technologies is weighing whether to grow its corporate headquarters in Centennial, and Colorado is putting real money behind the pitch to keep the aerospace company from decamping to a cheaper state. The Colorado Economic Development Commission has approved a $920,000 Strategic Fund incentive over five years for the project, known internally as “Project Scout,” which could bring 191 new jobs and roughly $40 million in investment to Arapahoe County.
The Denver-headquartered company, currently based at 1225 17th St. downtown, is also considering California, Alabama and Arizona for the expansion, according to the Denver Gazette. Voyager is not leaving Denver outright, but the vertically integrated aerospace firm is exploring viable options for new facilities supporting space, defense and national security systems as it scales up. Colorado’s incentive comes with a catch built into state rules: under OEDIT guidelines, Strategic Fund awards require a matching financial commitment from a local city or county partner before the state will release its share. In Centennial’s case, that match takes the form of a rebate on the city’s construction material use tax, which normally runs 2.5% for the city plus another 0.25% for Arapahoe County, collected upfront on roughly half of a project’s valuation before building permits are issued.
Matt Magaña, a Voyager executive, said the company is excited to consider the expansion and that the incentive would help get the deal “over the goal line.” He also acknowledged a friction point that looms over Colorado’s entire aerospace boom: even with strong growth in the sector, the state has struggled to secure talent quickly enough to meet demand. Elise Hamann said landing the headquarters expansion over competing states would reinforce Colorado’s value proposition in the strategically important aerospace sector.
A Vertically Integrated Buyer on a Buying Spree
Project Scout’s job roles would span engineers, project managers, operations personnel and manufacturing technicians, with an average annual wage of $130,499.48 — 151% of Arapahoe County’s average wage, according to OEDIT’s August meeting documentation. Voyager has been acquiring aerospace companies in Colorado and elsewhere, preferring to buy local firms that let it keep its center of mass in one place rather than scatter operations across the map. The strategy has already brought Astrobotic Technology, a lunar lander and robotics company based in Pittsburgh, into the fold; Voyager plans to base its lunar program center at Astrobotic’s Pennsylvania headquarters even as it grows its Colorado footprint…