Avitus Group announced Wednesday it will move its headquarters to Aurora and hire more than 500 employees over the next 10 years.
The Billings, Mont.-based company, which handles payroll, taxes and other human resources tasks for businesses, already has two offices in the Denver metro area. By February, 32 local employees will move into the new Aurora headquarters at 3131 S. Vaughn Way, Suite 400, in Cherry Creek Place.
Avitus will keep its current office in Centennial, but not its one in Denver.
The company is hanging onto its Billings building and turning it into an operations center. Employees can choose to relocate. CEO and board chairman Willie Chrans, who has a home in Denver, is one of the few making the move. Avitus has about 155 employees in Montana and 245 companywide.
“Our company believes in instilling a strong, positive and productive workplace culture, and Mr. Chrans has offered for employees located in the Billings office or any office nationwide to consider relocating to Denver (Aurora) as it is great to have experienced staff members in a new office to help instill that positive workplace culture, and the culture of Avitus Group,” said Dianne Parker, a company spokeswoman.
The company, which opened its first office in Colorado in 2007, expects to hire about 50 new employees a year for the next decade.
Its workforce expansion was a reason for the move. Avitus need access to more people, said Wendy Mitchell, president and CEO of the Aurora Economic Development Council. Avitus also looked at sites in California and Montana.
“I do think we had to convince them. I don’t think it was a slam dunk by any stretch,” Mitchell said. “And it’s a headquarters, which the state of Colorado and city wanted. That’s the gold standard.”
In October, the Colorado Economic Development Office matched the city of Aurora’s for Avitus for a total incentive of $640,000. Mitchell said the incentive is based on Avitus creating 175 new jobs.
Avitus plans to pay an average of $65,800, plus benefits.
“It’s a great deal for us,” Mitchell said. “It’s a lot of employees, high-quality jobs that pay well and a very good benefit package that exceeds our standards.”
Avitus will move into an 11,000-square-foot space space and has the option to double its square footage by 2018. Other building occupants include ADT Security Services, which employs 700 at the location.
Tamara Chuang: tchuang@denverpost.com or visit dpo.st/tamara
