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THE EDGE REAL ESTATE LinkedIn for the job-hunter Riverbend ready to go 9A SECTION B $1 Volume 17 Issue 16 | April 20 - May 3, 2012 Otterbox plans new building downtown BY MOLLY ARMBRISTER [email protected] With its ranks growing, the company MEET THE NEW ‘OTTERS’ Page 21A Fast-growing OtterBox is expand- also acquires the Rocky Mountain Bldg. ing its real-estate footprint yet again, with plans for a new building in down- In a quiet deal that closed in Octo- according to Larimer County public In the same entrepreneurial spirit town Fort Collins based on expecta- ber, the electronics case manufacturer records. The building now houses 60 that began OtterBox, company CEO tions its payroll will grow from 400 purchased a seven-story building at 315 “Otters,” as well as three startup com- and founder Curt Richardson, along today to as many as 1,500 in the next Oak St., a locale known as the Rocky panies formed by former OtterBox with President Brian Thomas, have three years. Mountain Building, for $927,000, employees. ➤ See OtterBox, 20A In quick order, Verus leaps to top of bank rankings BY MOLLY ARMBRISTER [email protected] One year after it was formed in the merger of three local banks, Verus Bank of Commerce has broken through the ranks to emerge as one of the top 100 banks in the nation with assets under $500 million. Among its clients are some of Northern Colorado’s premier com- JONATHAN CASTNER panies, such as Eldon James, Colo- April Beach, Wendy Leonard, Jen Palazzolo and Angie Nordstrum, in a field across rado CustomWare, US-Reports and from their children’s elementary school where oil-well drilling is planned. Palmer Flowers. Go to NCBR.com for more images Brand-name clients, however, aren’t enough to Erie, at the epicenter of oil opposition make the list. So how did Verus do it? How did A town where mounting tensions show no sign of relenting it end up as No. BY STEVE LYNN 19 on the SNL [email protected] School, where her 7-year-old son Nordstrum isn’t alone in her Financial rank- Nalezny is a student. worries. Anxiety over natural- ing of banks its ERIE — Angie Nordstrum can’t “We have this wonderful little gas drilling pervades this town size? How did it stop worrying about the natural- suburban utopia here and then all on the Weld and Boulder county become the only Colorado bank to gas wells planned a few hundred these gas wells infringe upon the line. Some residents believe that make the list? yards from Redhawk Elementary community,” Nordstrum said. ➤ See Erie, 6A ➤ See Verus, 7A CONTENTS Serving Northern Colorado Visit ncbr.com for breaking news Real Estate BBB ............................. 16A For The Record ... 23A-29A & Construction Briefcase ..................... 11A On The Job ................. 13A Riverbend on the Business Literature ..... 14A Online Poll ................... 31A Poudre ..................... 1B Commentary ............... 30A Technology .........................15A Loveland’s demo plans Daily In Review .............. 2A Time Out ..................... 12A coming soon............ 2B Terry Drahota on the Editorial ....................... 30A state of industry ....... 5B The Edge Geek Chic ................ 9A Careers ..................... 9A 2A | April 20 -May 3, 2012 Northern Colorado Business Report | www.ncbr.com Eldon James moving operations to Denver The following is a wrap-up of breaking local busi- thing could end up under one roof. Services will hire 40 employees in nities in Weld County continue to ness stories published daily on the Northern the next three months to work at its receive high-quality medical trans- Colorado Business Report’s website. Sign up for Vestas shares rise new facility in Loveland, the company port and services,” the county said. our free Daily E-Newsletter, an all-local business news report sent to your email each weekday. on takeover report said. The move, it said, promises to Just click on “Register” at www.ncbr.com. Vestas shares surged nearly 15 per- Leed Fabrication, based in Brigh- improve efficiencies and reduce the cent after it was reported that two ton, manufactures equipment for oil costs of ambulance service. Eldon James, a Loveland-based Chinese rivals were considering take- and gas development nationwide. The Under the deal, NCMC Inc. will company that makes plastic tubing over bids for the Danish wind turbine company said it plans to hire welders, pay $802,627 for the assets of the and hose fittings, is moving to Denver, maker. assemblers, machine operators and Weld County Paramedic Services. a city official said. China’s largest wind-turbine other staffers. It will take over on May 7. Loveland Economic Development manufacturer Sinovel Wind Group Cee-Jay Tool Co. once owned the WCPS has been providing ambu- Director Betsey Hale said employees and Xinjiang Goldwind Science & 22,000-square-foot facility at 5100 lance services in Weld for 37 years. of the company told her it plans to Technology Co., have discussed the Boyd Lake Ave. in Loveland. Leed move to Denver later this year. prospect of soliciting bids, Danish Fabrication bought the building for New Belgium in as official The company has scheduled an newspaper Jyllands-Posten reported. $2.1 million March 2. USA Pro Cycling Challenge open house for employees at the new The newspaper cited anonymous “It was a facility very well-suited beer sponsor site this weekend, she said. sources in the corporate finance for our manufacturing purposes,” said New Belgium Brewing has signed The move would follow the com- industry. Gail Meisinger, director of human on to become the official beer spon- pany’s recent decision to drop plans to resources. “This facility had a lot of sor of the seven-day USA Pro Cycling relocate from Loveland to Timnath. DAILY the equipment already in place that Challenge. Groundbreaking on the facility in we need.” The event, starting in Durango on Timnath was supposed to take place IN REVIEW Leed Fabrication will hold a job fair Aug. 20 and finishing in Denver on in early March. at the Loveland facility from noon to Aug. 26, features world-class cyclists But Eldon James CEO Marcia Vestas’ stock price has dipped 6 p.m. April 25. racing across the Colorado Rockies. Coulson said the company’s produc- more than 50 percent since October The company also maintains facili- The event’s deal with New Bel- tion capacity could not come online following two profit warnings. ties in Brighton and Greeley. gium extends through 2013. quickly enough under the project Vestas has four factories in Colo- “The USA Pro Cycling Challenge build-out timeline in Timnath. She rado, including one in Windsor. It Hospital to take over Weld is a great fit for New Belgium,” New said last week that Eldon James was has threatened to lay off 1,600 peo- County ambulance service Belgium CEO Kim Jordan said in a evaluating other sites in Colorado, but ple nationwide if Congress does not Ambulance services in Weld news release. did not specify whether the company renew a wind tax credit set to expire County will soon be handled by “The race is a powerful showcase would stay in Northern Colorado. at the end of the year. North Colorado Medical Center and for our beautiful state and it allows Eldon James had planned to contin- its operating partner, Banner Health. us to help grow awareness around the ue using its facilities in Loveland as it Leed Fabrication to hire “In the rapidly changing health cycling issues we all hold dear. We’re relocated its headquarters to Timnath, 40 in Loveland care arena, this transfer provides the excited to see where we can take this though Coulson said eventually every- LOVELAND – Leed Fabrication best way to ensure that the commu- in the next few years.” Your business’s most valuable asset is the people that drive it. Their potential is creative, dynamic and boundless. Kennedy and Coe LLC offers People Growth Strategists to help grow your employee investment, and therefore your results, to the fullest capability. An arsenal of consulting tools and proven growth strategies including executive coaching, incentive compensation plans, performance management and talent recruitment means no employee’s potential will remain unrealized on our watch. Inspire greatness at www.kcoe.com or call 800.303.3241. Northern Colorado Business Report | www.ncbr.com April 20 - May 3, 2012 | 3A Asheville: PVHS now selling insurance BY MOLLY ARMBRISTER as chronic illness management. including family health histories and [email protected] The health-management features ongoing care. A little like of the plans cover 29 chronic-care Peak Health Solutions was devel- Small businesses in Northern Col- conditions, according to Carl Smith, oped to address a lack of coverage or orado now have another option for vice president of PVHS payor rela- inadequate coverage for employees The Fort providing group health insurance to tions. of small businesses in the region and employees, courtesy of a partner- The plans also offer access to across the nation. Any of the New Belgium ship between Poudre Valley Health PVHS’s many preventative care Nationwide, approximately 11 Brewing folks relocating to System and Colorado Choice Health programs, such as Healthy Families million employees of companies with Asheville, N.C., as part of the Plans. and Healthy Hearts Club, often at fewer than 25 workers are uninsured, company’s expansion might PVHS quietly launched Peak reduced prices. according to a report by HealthRe- find a few things about the Health Solutions in December, a fam- The program also includes an form.gov. city that reminds them of Fort ily of insurance products that promote online service where members can The plans are also geared toward Collins.