The Steel City is forging a new bond with a steel building manufacturer that plans to bring 51 new jobs to Pueblo next year. 

Armstrong Steel, a Denver-based steel building manufacturer, will be developing a $15 million factory at the Minnequa Industrial Park on Greenhorn Drive just south of Pueblo and just west of Interstate 25 after an incentive deal was reached with Pueblo Economic Development Corp. and the city of Pueblo.

It’s a perfect match for Pueblo, home to the EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel Mill, and Armstrong Steel which is looking to expand.

The jobs announcement was made Oct. 8 at the Center for American Values and live-streamed on Facebook. 

“Pueblo really went out of their way to attract us there by offering us a prime location right on I-25 which will increase visibility and benefit customers, suppliers and employees. It is just a win-win across the board,” said Ethan Chumley, Armstong Steel CEO.

The company will receive $1.2 million of the voter-approved half-cent sales tax funding earmarked for economic development. The funds will be used to purchase new equipment and in exchange, Armstong will commit to a 10-year employment agreement in Pueblo. 

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Those 51 new Pueblo jobs will have an average annual salary of $52,400, Chumley said. 

“Pueblo has the best workforce in the state and an economic environment that allows companies like Armstrong Steel to grow and succeed. I am just excited we are bringing steel manufacturing jobs back to the hard-working folks in Pueblo,” Chumley said. 

The deal to bring Armstrong to Pueblo has been a long-term project for PEDCO, said Jeff Shaw, president. He said development coming to the South Side of Pueblo is particularly exciting. 

“It is a great project for Pueblo with good-paying jobs and fits what we can do very well. There is going to be a high demand and it will be very successful for many years to come,” Shaw said. 

Armstrong Steel has been manufacturing pre-engineered metal buildings for nearly 15 years. The structures, ranging from sheds and barns to commercial and religious buildings, are shipped throughout the world. 

About 20% of its buildings are sold in Colorado and the rest are shipped out of state and country, Chumley said. The relocation of the company will involve two, 40,000-square-foot phases for a total 80,000-square-foot factory. 

“The new factory is a logical and necessary step toward strengthening the company’s position as a national competitor,” Chumley said. 

The move to a large Pueblo factory will allow Armstrong Steel to provide high-quality metal building systems to customers, while at the same time providing an improved work environment for employees, company officials said. 

“It will accommodate leading-edge manufacturing technologies. It will have a more automated workflow which results in increased efficiency, employee productivity, healthier (profit) margins and job satisfaction,” Chumley said. 

The change also will allow for continuity in delivery and an improved work environment for employees. The company will construct its own building, Chumley said. 

“We will be operational next year for sure. We move pretty quick,” Chumley said. 

Shaw said when PEDCO builds spec buildings for prospective companies, they are made out of metal, so he is excited to have a metal building manufacturer in town. 

Armstrong Steel is joined by another metal building manufacturer that has plans to bring jobs to Pueblo County. Great Western Building Systems LLC, a Houston, Texas-based company that makes pre-engineered metal buildings announced in July it will bring a $5 million business and 27 new jobs to 360 E. Industrial Blvd. in Pueblo West by the end of the year. 

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Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via Twitter at twitter.com/tracywumps.