The company that created the first owner-occupied 3D-printed home in the U.S. is moving its headquarters to Greeley this fall. Alquist 3D expects to create 79 local jobs and they're also partnering with Aims Community College to develop a 3D printing worker training program.
State and local leaders gathered at the Aims campus Friday to celebrate the news and highlight what it might mean for Colorado's economy and affordable housing supply.
Greeley City Manager Raymond Lee thinks Alquist will bring more business and recognition to the city.
“I think this is a huge workforce development initiative. It's going to be a domino effect of other industries starting, other businesses starting. When we say we want this to be the home of 3D printing, this is truly the home of 3D printing,” Lee said.
Alquist founder Zachary Mannheimer said the partnership with Aims is what sealed the deal to move to Greeley. He's convinced that innovation in rural communities will continue to grow and the technology behind 3D printing will take off.
"They wanted to solve this problem. And they didn't want to do it the old way. So we had to create a new concept. They were searching for the right answer, so that fit perfectly," Mannheimer said. "But it was Aims Community College that put things over the top. We needed the school to partner to create the Workforce Development talent pipeline. Aims is one of the biggest reasons why."
His company is already making homes people can live in, but he thinks the technology behind it will take off. State and local leaders are excited about how the company's work could impact Colorado's housing supply.
Alquist 3D is relocating from Iowa this fall. They specialize in printing construction materials for low-cost housing and infrastructure.
“In five years, not in 50, you're going to be able to go to your hardware store and rent a printer for your own personal use if you want to," Mannheimer said. "My anticipation is you're going to see one of these machines on every job site in America in the next five to 10 years.”
