Hach celebrates opening of $25M expansion in Loveland

LOVELAND — Kathryn “Kitty” Hach-Darrow, who co-founded Hach Co. with her late husband, Clifford Hach, 70 years ago, was on hand Wednesday when the company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new $25 million, 90,000-square-foot expansion at its campus at 5600 Lindbergh Drive in Loveland.

Speaking to a throng of past and present employees, city officials and state legislators, Hach, 94, said there are too many memories to go over them all, but she did share that she and Cliff had peanut butter sandwiches they brought from home on the very first day of work decades ago.

“There was no cafeteria,” she said. She also shared that they bought the land for their first building for about $500.

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“We built this building with offices … it was a beautiful building. Then someone asked, ‘Where are the restrooms?’ and I said, ‘See that path over there?’ ”

Jokes aside, The Hachs started a company that would become a global leader in designing and manufacturing water-analysis equipment. Cliff oversaw the company’s research and development, and Kitty dealt with business operations, marketing and other general management.

Kevin Klau, president of Hach Co., told the hundreds of employees in the crowd that “we literally would not be here today if it weren’t for Cliff and Kitty Hach.”

The Hachs moved their headquarters to Loveland in 1977. After Cliff’s death in 1990, Kitty was the company’s sole CEO, and Hach Co. was the largest woman-operated business in the state. It had annual sales in excess of $100 million, according to the Chemical Heritage Foundation. Hach Co. was sold to the Danaher Corp. in 1999 for $355 million. Before retirement, Kitty guided the company to its status as a $313 million global leader in water-purification technology. She also was the first woman director of the American Water Works Association.

“It’s difficult to put into words,” Hach said of the new building she toured prior to the ceremony. “It’s so beautiful to see this building. … All of Cliff’s thoughts and visions have come to reality.”

The two-story building will house an advanced R&D workspace, including testing and research labs for the design and manufacture of the high-tech water-testing equipment.

Tom Joyce, chief executive of Danaher Corp., parent company of Hach Co., who at one time served as president of Hach Co., called it a “momentous day.

“It’s rare that Danaher Corp. breaks ground,” he said. “Cliff would approve of the vision to take a bold step forward to initiate this extraordinary move.”

Joyce said the expansion is a testament to Danaher’s commitment to Hach and to innovation.

“This building helps realize the vision Cliff and Kitty had years ago,” Joyce said.

Colorado Congressman Jared Polis commended the company on its long-term success and growth.

“I’m looking forward to see what the Hach team will do in the next 70 years,” he said.

The building, named Pikes Peak, joins Longs Peak and Torreys Peak buildings, making it a three-building campus with more than 300,000 square feet. Hach has 750 employees at the campus and will move 50 employees there who have been working off-site.

Employees and equipment are expected to be moved in and operational by late September or early October.

Hach Co. has propelled innovation in water-quality analysis. It continues to  develop revolutionary water-testing instrumentation, chemistry and software with the goal of making water analysis faster, simpler, greener and more informative.

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Hach provides water-testing solutions for a variety of municipal and industrial applications. More recently, the company is integrating sensors with a software-based analytics platform and operational tools. These solutions provide improved insight into water-treatment operations.