Governor Polis and the Global Business Development Division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) joined the City of Greeley to announce today that Alquist 3D (Alquist), a manufacturer of 3D printed homes and infrastructure, has selected Greeley, Colorado for expansion. The company, which created the first owner-occupied 3D-printed home in the United States, selected Colorado because of its commitment to developing affordable and attainable housing and workforce development programs.
"Colorado faces a housing supply shortage and we need action. Alquist 3D, which has selected Greeley for their headquarters and 79 new good-paying jobs, is bringing innovative solutions to building more quality housing and building it faster. Solving our housing crisis is all hands on deck and innovative solutions like Alquist 3D and communities like Greeley are crucial to our success in lowering construction costs for housing and infrastructure,” said Governor Polis.
In Greeley, Alquist 3D will establish a showroom and production facility where the company will robotically print 3D structures with a focus on creating lower-cost housing and infrastructure and serving economically distressed and underserved communities. Plans are already taking shape to print curb systems with integrated drainage for the City of Greeley, and the company is working closely with the Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity on plans to produce structures for a local housing project.
“There is nowhere else on the planet where so much is happening all in one place to move structural 3D printing forward,” Alquist Founder and Chairman Zachary Mannheimer said of Greeley and Colorado. “We’re excited to have a home where all the pieces of the puzzle to commercialize this industry are coming together. We’re thankful to Colorado for sharing in this vision, to Greeley for its courage and hard work throughout this process, and to local organizations like Aims Community College and the Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity for their early partnership.”
“The City of Greeley is thrilled to welcome Alquist to our community,” said Greeley Mayor John Gates. “Alongside the sustainable building and infrastructure technology, Alquist will bring with them the ability to provide more affordable housing in our community, job opportunities for our residents, career pathways for our students and economic prosperity over the long term.”
Alquist is moving its headquarters from Iowa City, Iowa to Greeley with the relocation projected to be complete this fall. The company expects to create 79 net new jobs at an average annual wage of $73,987, which is 124.3% of the average annual wage in Weld County. The positions will include project managers, executives, manufacturing workers, and business services.
In addition, Alquist is partnering with Aims Community College to incorporate its technology into their curriculum. The Aims Construction Management program will develop an academic pathway for 3D concrete printing technology that teaches students how to operate a 3D printer for residential construction applications. Alquist also plans to partner with Aims' existing Computer Aided Drafting and Industrial Technology programs, in which students learn how to design the buildings and program the robots used for 3D concrete printing. Through these programs, students will develop the skills that will enable them to apply for positions at Alquist.
"Alquist 3D is pioneering innovative new technologies for home construction and stepping up to help train the workforce of today and tomorrow. Committed partners like these will help us build a strong economy where all Coloradans have access to good-paying jobs and housing for every income level,” said OEDIT Executive Director Eve Lieberman.
The Colorado Economic Development Commission approved up to $1,097,242 in performance-based Job Growth Incentive Tax Credits for the company over an 8-year period and up to $335,000 in a performance-based Strategic Fund incentive over a 5-year period. These incentives are contingent upon Alquist 3D, referred to as Project Innovate throughout the OEDIT review process, meeting net new job creation and salary requirements.
The City of Greeley is also providing an incentive package valued at $2.85 million.
“Aims is honored and excited to partner with Alquist to provide cutting-edge job training in northern Colorado. This higher education/industry collaboration is a prime example of the future of education—innovation and training together to meet rapidly evolving workforce needs,” said Dr. Leah L. Bornstein, CEO and President of Aims Community College.
“Alquist 3D embodies some of our region’s strongest values: innovation and community commitment. They are helping to shape a future where affordable housing, job growth and infrastructure unite. We are thrilled about their choice of Greeley, Colorado as their new headquarters,” said Raymond H. Gonzales, President of the Metro Denver EDC and Executive Vice President of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to Colorado, Alquist 3D also considered Iowa and Virginia for expansion.