Colorado has hooked a new corporate headquarters.
Umpqua Feather Merchants, a privately held Glide, Ore.-based manufacturer and distributor of fishing flies and specialty fishing gear, is moving its 45-person headquarters to Louisville.
The company selected Colorado because of its central location and large labor pool, which includes many fly-fishing enthusiasts, said Rick Saez, sales and marketing manager.
However, it will be leaving its namesake North Umpqua River Valley. Umpqua refers to several groups of American Indians that live in south-central Oregon.
The company has purchased a 17,000-square-foot building in the Colorado Technological Center in Louisville and expects to transfer its sales, service and administrative functions to Colorado in the next 30 days. Warehouse and shipping functions will be relocated over the next 18 months, Saez said.
“We’ll be hiring a lot of folks,” Saez said.
The new jobs are welcome news to Louisville City Manager Bill Simmons.
“It is good news any time a company opens in your community,” he said.
The city didn’t provide incentives but has offered to speed up the permit process so Umpqua can start operating as soon as possible, Simmons said.
Staff writer Kristi Arellano can be reached at 303-820-1902 or karellano@denverpost.com.
