Welcome to the Denver Gazette’s Metro Moves. You’ll get the latest metro Denver openings, closings, hiring and promotion briefs here. To submit your company’s news, drop an email to [email protected].

HEADQUARTERS

The Global Business Development Division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced a tech innovator chose Denver for its headquarters.

HNA Live, a data analytics company serving manufacturing and real estate industries, was considering 10 other cities in the United States. HNA Live is a cloud solution company that uses artificial intelligence and 3D technology to enhance productivity of manufacturing facilities, which is being expanded into real estate. The technology team uses real-time data streams, while the technology service increases data access and insights to aid in real-time decisions.

The Colorado Economic Development Commission approved up to $164,284 in performance-based Job Growth Incentive Tax Credits under the name “Project Our Nation” for the OEDIT review process. HNA Live currently has 13 employees in Michigan, Indiana, Texas, Wisconsin, New York and California, but none currently live in Colorado.

“Colorado and the Front Range are home to a growing roster of tech companies that are changing the way more traditional sectors do business,” Patrick Meyers, executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, said in a press release.

By coming to Denver, HNA Live said it will join the local, growing technology sector, in addition to supporting the manufacturing and real estate industries. The company estimates it will create over 36 new jobs in sales, engineering, executive and administrative roles that have an average annual wage of $99,028.

“Everything pointed to Denver,” Cooper Mojsiejenko, chief executive officer at HNA Live, said in a press release. “The workforce is talented, the city’s central location makes it easy to do business across the country, and innovative tech and real estate ecosystems will help the heart of our nation solve their biggest challenges first.”

LEASE

CP Group, an owner, operator and developer of office and mixed-use projects, has executed about 153,000 square feet of leases at Granite Tower one year after acquiring the building.

Granite Tower is a 600,000-square-foot, 31-floor office tower in Denver’s central business district. The building had $11 million in renovations completed in 2020. The firm has completed 45,000 square feet in new leases in the last year. The largest lease is from PDC Energy, Inc., an independent oil and gas company, which subleased 108,459 square feet across floors 13 to 17 from Occidental Petroleum. PDC Energy also moved into floor 19 due to its acquisition of Great Western Petroleum.

Other leases included Bounteous, Inc., Riverside Investment & Development Company, The Intersect Group, LLC, The Judge Group and Alexander Benefits Consulting.

Jamie Roupp, Andy Ross, and Maddy Stevenson with JLL represented CP Group in these transactions, according to a press release.

“The leasing velocity at Granite Tower is a testament to the extensive amenity package the office building offers, as well as its location at the gateway to Denver’s Lower Downtown submarket,” Roupp said in the press release. “Additionally, the building is surrounded by over $4 billion of new development that has delivered, is under construction, or planned in the immediate area.”

OPENING

AETHER Apparel has opened a store in Denver, located in downtown near Union Station.

AETHERden has taken over 1,400 square feet of space inside the outdoor retailer center, BASECAMP Market Station. The store is decorated with custom-made LED-lit crates, displaying clothes along with a vintage BMW Isetta. The store offers men’s and women’s outerwear, snow gear, sweaters, tees, footwear and more, according to an announcement.

The store will be open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is the second retail opening in three months at BASECAMP, located at 1441 16th St Mall, Denver.

AETHER (pronounced “ē-ther”) began operations in 2009 by founders Palmer West and Jonah Smith. Its product line is meant to be worn at all times, as well as withstand the outdoors. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.