Aerospace

Colorado has the third largest aerospace economy in the United States. This constantly evolving industry includes companies that develop products and systems for commercial, military and space exploration applications. South Metro Denver is well positioned to capture continued growth in aerospace. Positioned between the National Defense Command Centers in Colorado Springs, Buckley Air Force Base in the eastern metro area and several renowned research universities, South Metro Denver continues to focus on attracting premier aerospace companies.

The Colorado Space Coalition (CSC) is an organization of industry stakeholders working together to make Colorado a center for excellence in space exploration and aerospace innovation. Military, academic, research and educational leaders are members of the Coalition and the CSC Directory includes more than 300 aerospace companies and suppliers in Colorado.


Five key reasons aerospace firms choose to locate to the region include: the ability to recruit and retain qualified employees, proximity to vendors and customers, low to moderate cost of doing business, pro-business state and local governments and close proximity to colleges and universities.


Colorado has three institutions that are members of the Universities Space Research Association. They are the University of Colorado at Boulder, the Colorado School of Mines and the University of Denver. All three institutions have graduate programs in space sciences and/or engineering.

Aviation

Centennial Airport is the center of the aviation industry in South Metro Denver. Centennial, in Arapahoe County, is the third busiest general aviation airport in the United States and among the twenty-five busiest of all types of airports in the country. This industry cluster includes companies that manufacture and maintain aircraft, as well as those that provide transportation services.


Corporate travelers will not find a more opportune place to conduct business than this state-of-the-art airfield. Centennial Airport is a truly international facility, with 24-hour U.S. Customs, a 24-hour FAA control tower and all-weather capability. There are three runways at Centennial and the airport handles more than 330,000 arrivals and departures each year. Located in the heart of South Metro Denver, Centennial Airport is just minutes from the Denver Tech Center and only 18 miles from the Central Business District.   


Numerous companies have located their corporate headquarters in South Metro Denver to take advantage of the convenience and outstanding facilities that the airport has to offer. Centennial is home to four award winning fixed-base operators (FBO’s) and 729 based aircraft made up of a mix of single-engine, multi-engine, jets and helicopters. With today’s technology, pilots can fly non-stop to and from Centennial Airport to almost any location in the world.

 The airport is also an important hub for commerce and trade. More than 1,800 people are employed on the airport's grounds and the economic impact for the area is estimated at nearly $1 billion annually. Aviation jobs in the area total 10,485 with an annual payroll of $356,654,900. Among the largest companies represented are: Air Methods, specializing in air ambulance manufacturing and leasing, Straight Flight, Precision Aircraft and Jeppesen/Sanderson, a Boeing company.

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Executive Summary: Aviation/Aerospace Industries

Basic Information
2010 Industry Jobs	5,086
2020 Industry Jobs	6,230
Total Change	1,144
Total % Change	22.53%
Current Average Earnings per Worker	$70,620

Economic Indicators
2010 Location Quotient	0.58
2020 Location Quotient	.64
Shift Share: Regional Competitiveness Effect	652
Shift Share: Industrial Mix Effect	-169
Shift Share: National Effect	661

Industry Change Summary

Description	2010 Jobs	2020 Jobs	Change	% Change	Current EPW
Regional Total	5,086	6,230	1,144	22%	$70,620
State Total	66,330	69,766	3,436	5%	$81,396
National Total	3,409,933	3,687,432	277,499	8%	$74,698