The United Launch Alliance, a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin that officially got up and running Friday, will bring an influx of 400 to 700 skilled, highly paid aerospace employees to Denver.
“Overall, (it) is a net gain of probably several hundred jobs in Denver,” said Lockheed spokesman Evan McCollum.
The deal between Boeing and Lockheed closed Friday. The alliance was announced in May 2005 as a way to save the U.S. government money. Regulatory approval came in October.
“This is a very exciting day for us,” ULA chief operating officer Dan Collins said Friday.
The alliance is a 50-50 partnership between Lockheed and Boeing, with 3,800 employees nationwide. About 1,000 employees who worked on Lockheed’s Atlas rocket will now work for the ULA at Lockheed’s Waterton campus in Jefferson County.
“It provides a real solid bedrock for the entire economy for probably generations to come,” said Tom Clark, executive vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp.
Lockheed plans to lease a facility along the C-470 corridor west of Interstate 25 by next summer. Approximately 500 more people will work there, bringing the total to 1,500 employees.
ULA plans to offer jobs to 800 at Boeing’s Huntington Beach, Calif., facility, mainly engineers and administrative employees, Clark said. As many as 400 could move to Colorado next summer.
Remaining positions will be filled by Lockheed employees working on the Atlas program or by new hires.
Because the goal of the partnership is to cut government costs by $100 million to $150 million annually, some metro Denver Atlas employees are expected to be laid off. They could return to work for Lockheed.
ULA executives plan to meet with employees at Waterton on Monday, when more management appointments will be announced.
Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi can be reached at 303-954-1488 or kyamanouchi@denverpost. com.
