Factories in Colorado
Colorado has 5,031 manufacturing establishments employing 133,767 people (Census County Business Patterns, 2023), 1.1% of US manufacturing jobs and the 31st most of any state. The largest industries by employment are food, computers and electronics and machinery. We track 12 new plant projects here, 2 under construction.
- Establishments
- 5,031
- Census 2023
- Manufacturing jobs
- 133,767
- Census 2023
- In EPA records
- 1,833
- Active, ECHO
- New plants
- 12
- 2 building
- Sheet
- CO
- Revised
- November 11, 2026
What is made in Colorado
| Industry (NAICS subsector) | Establishments | Employees | In EPA records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food 311 | 628 | 24,477 | 111 |
| Computers and electronics 334 | 264 | 15,937 | 103 |
| Machinery 333 | 300 | 13,542 | 95 |
| Fabricated metal products 332 | 820 | 12,519 | 199 |
| Vehicles, aircraft and parts 336 | 181 | 11,420 | 68 |
| Beverages and tobacco 312 | 429 | 7,878 | 23 |
| Chemicals 325 | 283 | 7,680 | 249 |
| Glass, cement and stone 327 | 291 | 7,202 | 338 |
| Medical devices and other goods 339 | 505 | 7,159 | 86 |
| Printing 323 | 401 | 4,828 | 125 |
| Plastics and rubber 326 | 154 | 4,648 | 72 |
| Furniture 337 | 250 | 4,189 | 53 |
| Wood products 321 | 201 | 4,160 | 56 |
| Electrical equipment and appliances 335 | 79 | 2,502 | 39 |
| Primary metals 331 | 27 | 1,842 | 29 |
| Paper 322 | 23 | 1,448 | 19 |
| Textile products 314 | 97 | 1,005 | 2 |
| Petroleum and coal products 324 | 18 | 746 | 160 |
| Apparel 315 | 50 | 320 | 0 |
| Leather goods 316 | 22 | 163 | 1 |
| Textile mills 313 | 8 | 102 * | 5 |
Establishments and employees: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, mid-March employment. * Census flags this figure as having high noise. "In EPA records" counts active facilities in EPA's ECHO database, a subset that excludes plants EPA doesn't regulate.
New plants in Colorado
| Project | Industry | Status | Announced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick nucleic acid API manufacturing expansionAgilent Technologies, Frederick | Pharmaceuticals | Under construction | $725M160 jobs |
| Colorado Springs beverage manufacturing facilitySwire Coca-Cola, USA, Colorado Springs | Food and beverage | Under construction | $475M170 jobs |
| Monument HVAC and piping fabrication facilityACCO Engineered Systems, Monument | Appliances and HVAC | Announced | $36M135 jobs |
| Colorado Springs precision manufacturing expansionAccu-Precision, Colorado Springs | Aerospace and defense | Announced | $45M133 jobs |
| Weld County space hardware production facilityBAE Systems, Weld County | Aerospace and defense | Announced | —600 jobs |
| Colorado Springs fab expansion (SiC and Si)Microchip Technology, Colorado Springs | Semiconductors | Announced | $880M400 jobs |
| Denver High Point beverage manufacturing facilityPepsiCo Beverages North America, Denver | Food and beverage | Announced | —250 jobs |
| Colorado Springs electronics and wiring harness expansionSpectrum Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, Colorado Springs | Electronics | Announced | —101 jobs |
| Colorado Springs LiFi manufacturing facilityTerra Ferma, Colorado Springs | Electronics | Announced | $1M120 jobs |
| Colorado Springs Manufacturing Center of ExcellenceEntegris, Colorado Springs | Semiconductors | Operating | $600M600 jobs |
| Longmont avionics and in-space propulsion manufacturing facility (with Berthoud expansion)Ursa Major, Longmont | Aerospace and defense | Operating | —1,850 jobs |
| Colorado Springs solar cell factoryMeyer Burger Technology AG, Colorado Springs | Solar | Cancelled | —350 jobs |
Factory pages in Colorado
21 Colorado factories have their own page so far: the facilities that report to EPA's Toxics Release Inventory and hold the most detailed federal records. See all 21, grouped by industry.
Questions
What is made in Colorado?
Colorado has 5,031 manufacturing establishments employing 133,767 people (Census County Business Patterns, 2023), 1.1% of US manufacturing jobs and the 31st most of any state. The largest industries by employment are food, computers and electronics and machinery.
How many manufacturers are in Colorado?
5,031 manufacturing establishments (Census, 2023). EPA's ECHO database lists 1,833 active manufacturing facilities in Colorado that it regulates, 414 of which report to the Toxics Release Inventory.
Are new factories being built in Colorado?
We track 12 large plant projects in Colorado announced since 2021: 2 under construction, 7 announced, 2 operating and 1 paused, cancelled or closed.
Can you tour a factory in Colorado?
Yes: Avery Brewing Brewery Tour, Breckenridge Distillery Tour, Celestial Seasonings Tea Tour, Hammond's Candies Factory Tour and 5 more.