A veteran-owned aerospace and defense firm headquartered in Colorado Springs is expanding its operations locally, expecting to create around 500 jobs and invest more than $7 million into the community.

Company leadership on Thursday afternoon joined Gov. Jared Polis and community and economic leaders in Colorado Springs and El Paso County to announce the expansion of ITS, an emerging leader in information technology, engineering, cybersecurity and technology solutions for aerospace and defense sectors.

The minority-owned, certified service-disabled veteran-owned small business was established in 2017. It has extensive experience in cybersecurity, full-scale enterprise information technology, systems engineering, space systems and associated ground systems, according to a joint news release from the company, the governor’s office and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

ITS (Infinity Technology Services) provides engineering solutions and services to government and commercial clients. The firm supports more than 35 Department of Defense and federal programs globally, the release said.

“Colorado is home to more than 2,000 aerospace companies that support our state’s thriving aerospace industry and thousands of jobs around the state, while also hosting half our nation’s Space Force. By expanding in Colorado Springs, ITS will build on services that support our defense while creating 500 new good-paying jobs,” Polis said in the release.

Jobs include network/infrastructure engineers, software engineers, cyber systems analysts, systems administrators and computer systems technicians. The expected average yearly salary is $130,482, which is 200% of the average annual wage in El Paso County.

The firm will also invest more than $7 million to increase space for its personnel and advance its engineering capabilities, research and development initiatives, hardware and software solutions, advanced network communications and cybersecurity capabilities, the release said.

The state and the city align with ITS’ vision to attract top talent to the region in the aerospace and defense sectors, ITS President and CEO Hassan Campbell told state and local elected officials, economic development experts, community members and the media at a press conference Thursday in downtown Colorado Springs.

“This expansion project is really going to enable us to do some of the things that are going to fuel that blossoming talent pool,” said Campbell, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and an Air Force veteran. “It’s going to allow us to provide infrastructure, to increase (space for employees), allow us the capability to do research and development, and to advance some of the capabilities we have today — even some future next-generation communication capabilities and some things that are on the horizon for ITS in support of aerospace and defense and also the cybersecurity sector.”

ITS has a 92% employee retention rate and a 90% recruitment rate, Campbell told reporters after the press conference. Three-quarters of the firm’s employees are veterans or in the military reserves.

The number of aerospace companies in Colorado has increased 26% since 2020, Eve Lieberman executive director of the state Office of Economic Development and International Trade, said in the release.

Polis told the crowd Thursday that state officials are working hard to ensure Colorado remains a leader and grows its leadership in the aerospace and defense sectors. Much of that work includes partnerships with K-12 schools, community colleges and universities that focus on workforce readiness, he said.

“We are making sure that we’re helping to define the skills we need for young people to build jobs that are opening today and tomorrow across the continuum,” Polis said.

In June, the Colorado Economic Development Commission approved up to $4.9 million in job growth tax incentives for ITS over eight years. The incentives will be appropriated on the conditions of jobs created and salary requirements met.

Homestead Collective closes 3 restaurants months after opening

The city of Colorado Springs’ Economic Development Department has also extended its support to ITS through talent and workforce development as well as through its Rapid Response Team program, Mayor Yemi Mobolade said Thursday. The program provides expedited review and approval of land use applications and building permits to qualifying employers. 

Carrie Geitner, chair of the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners, estimated ITS is eligible for as much as $772,651 in state income tax credits through the Pikes Peak Enterprise Zone program administered by the county.

“ITS’ decision to expand in Colorado Springs reinforces our region’s reputation as a national hub for aerospace, defense and cybersecurity innovation,” Colorado Springs Chamber & Economic Development Corp. President and CEO Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer said in the release. “These 500 new, high-paying jobs strengthen our local economy and highlight the skilled talent pool and strategic assets that define this region. We’re proud to support ITS’ continued growth and the critical missions they serve.”

ITS also considered Henderson, Nev., and Huntsville, Ala., for its expansion.

The firm currently has 168 employees, 110 of whom are in Colorado. ITS has two offices in Colorado Springs and one in California. It operates in 10 states, including Hawaii, and in Australia.