Manes considers expansion

FORT COLLINS — One of this city˜s economic-development success stories has grown so much that its principals now are faced with how and where to expand.
Manes Machine & Engineering Inc. was recruited five years ago to Fort Collins from Ontario, Calif., by then-economic development chief Ed Stoner.
The company fabricates complex five-axis machine parts for airplanes, including Boeing 767s and 777s. It now has 80 employees at its 363 Jefferson St. site, more than double last year˜s payroll and far more than the 14 that relocated to Colorado from California.
"We build parts for all the planes Boeing builds, and for military aircraft," said Al Manes, president of the company.
And business is good. Boeing quickly is building new planes to replace aircraft being retired by airlines. Aging fleets and favorable interest rates have sent many airlines scurrying for new products.
"It˜s trickling down to us in large quantities," Manes said. "We˜re expanding by 40 percent to 50 percent a year."
That growth has left Manes and partner Bruce Page considering a couple of options. One is to completely relocate in the vicinity of Fort Collins. That would mean doubling the current space of approximately 33,000 square feet and adding another 20 to 30 employees. The second option Manes discusses is opening a new facility in a yet-unnamed state to relieve overflow at the Jefferson Street site.
Whatever the decision, it likely will be made in the next month or two.
"It appears we will have to be doing something soon," Manes said.
Stoner, who helped bring the company here, said Manes Machine was "all the things you want" as an economic-development official.
"They had a lot of promise and paid above-average wages," Stoner recalled. "They located in the downtown area and are high-tech."
He said Manes Machine more than fulfilled its potential as a good company for Fort Collins.
Manes Machine continues to add high-paying jobs. Manes said prospective employees often come seeking higher-paying and more-promising positions than their current ones. But they also have to know the business.
"I build the trickiest of aircraft machinery," Manes said.
And when the airplane-building business slows, there will be a cushion. Manes also heads Colorado Custom, a business that makes custom wheels for all sorts of vehicles, including Harley Davidson motorcycles.