York Space Systems, which manufactures and deploys satellites, has opened a fourth production facility in the Denver area, boosting its production capacity to about 1,000 spacecraft a year.

York’s new 60,000-square-foot plant is in the Denver Tech Center, where in 2022 it moved its headquarters, which also has production capabilities. The company has two other production sites in downtown Denver.

Dirk Wallinger, CEO of York Space Systems, said the company has invested $20 million so far in its facilities. He declined to say how many people work at York, but added that the company is adding employees.

“Our contract values and our revenue have increased over 250% for the past three years in a row,” Wallinger said.

Colorado has the country’s second-largest aerospace industry behind California’s and the highest concentration of private aerospace employees. There are about 290 companies and more than 500 space-related businesses in Colorado, according to a report by the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation and the Colorado Space Coalition. The state’s aerospace companies range from several of the large and well-known to startups and support companies.

York started manufacturing small satellites in 2016 for government and commercial clients. Growth for both York and Colorado’s aerospace industry continued during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Colorado has been a strong aerospace economy for decades now. Colorado has just built a really healthy economy around the industry,” Wallinger said.

The state and Colorado companies have focused on the fundamentals, which has given them an edge over other regions, Wallinger added.

The growth in space-related business has helped fuel commerce on the ground. Aerospace companies are among the businesses that are leasing offices and manufacturing plants, providing momentum for a commercial real estate market still trying to shake off the effects of the pandemic.

York will produce both of its satellite platforms in its new plant and load what the customer wants to send to space, such as communication equipment. The S-Class is about the size of a dryer and the LX-Class is roughly the size of a refrigerator.

The company has a mission operations center in one of its Denver sites.

“Our headquarters also has mission center capability,” Wallinger said.

York’s customers include the U.S. government as well as private companies.

“There’s really a wide variety of players both in government and on the commercial side doing all kinds of different missions,” Wallinger said. “We’re seeing growth across the board.”

Wallinger sees the decision to keep U.S. Space Command headquarters in Colorado as a benefit for the state’s aerospace industry overall. President Joe Biden’s plan to keep the command in Colorado Springs was announced in July and reverses the Trump administration’s decision to move it to Alabama.

“It’s obviously great for the Colorado community, the economy and employment and it’s great to have a skilled workforce nearby,” Wallinger said.