Data-storage firm moves to Louisville

LOUISVILLE – A young data-storage company backed by former executives from Storage Technology Corp., Seagate, Maxtor, IBM and EMC has moved its operations from Westminster to Louisville.

Atrato Inc. signed a lease for 11,581 square feet of space at 331 S. 104th St. in the Colorado Technology Center business park. Brokers with Keys Commercial in Boulder and Howard Ecker + Co. in Chicago helped broker the real estate deal.

Founded in February 2008, Atrato initially was funded by $18 million from Jesse Aweida, former StorageTek president and chief executive officer; Tom Porter, former chief technology officer of Seagate and former IBM storage executive; Gary Gentry, a former senior vice president of Maxtor and Seagate; and Dick Blaschke, formerly with IBM and EMC.

Atrato designs, manufactures and sells data-storage hardware and software designed for high-speed and high-volume data access, such as for the computing, digital entertainment and Web sectors. It focuses on making its systems faster, more power-efficient and smaller in size.

A boost in business led to the company needing more room to grow — increasing its manufacturing and laboratory space at the new location, said Stacy Kamigaki, head of marketing, communications and public relations at Atrato. She added that the location at the Colorado Technology Center in Louisville was ideal to attract employees from Boulder, Longmont and Denver. Atrato employs 30 people and continues to grow, Kamigaki said.

In late 2008, Atrato signed Green House Data, a Wyoming-based green data center, as one of its first major clients. It also signed a strategic partnership with data-storage peer Seagate in April 2008.

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