Safran Defense & Space Inc. officials opened the doors to its newest United States production facility, with the help of dozens of local and state community and business leaders, in Parker.

The U.S. subsidiary of the company headquartered in Paris chose Colorado for its new manufacturing facility to build electric propulsion thrusters.

The ribbon cutting event Friday capped off a week at Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, where company officials were able to meet Gov. Jared Polis and show him details of it propulsion thrusters.

Colorado marks the 25th state Safran has a presence in.

The facility is currently about 28,000 square feet, with room to expand, and will initially include about 20 employees. The state awarded Safran $371,000 in job growth tax incentives back in July when the company was considering between the metro Denver area and Irvine, Calif.

“We’re very excited to open this new chapter where we launch our state-of-the-art facility here in Parker, in the great state of Colorado,” said Pier Roviera, president of the company’s Space Solutions.

The company is looking to provide its propulsion thrusters “designed to support the growing demand for small satellites” for both governmental and commercial markets, he said. The first such units designed and built in Parker are on schedule for delivery at the end of 2026.

“This will be an integration center supporting the entire life cycle of our products, from research and development to final testing and production,” Roviera said.

“This new Colorado facility reflects our long-term commitment to innovation, resiliency and U.S.-based leadership,” he said.

Safran chose Colorado because of its large aerospace industry, workforce and access to the supply chain. It will locate the expansion in Parker in Douglas County.

“We’re thrilled to have you as part of our vibrant business community,” said Parker Mayor Joshua Rivero. “We look forward to the exciting contributions your innovation and technology will bring to our town.”

“Colorado is strategically located and home to an aerospace ecosystem that will advance Safran’s long-standing commitment to investing in the U.S. and deliver our capabilities to meet the dynamic needs of the U.S. space market,” Joe Bogosian, president and CEO of Safran Defense & Space, Inc., said previously.

“We’ve opened our new Colorado facility with a talented team of about 15 engineers and professionals as part of the first phase,” Bogosian said. “We expect to grow steadily over the next couple of years, with even more expansion to follow as demand for satellite propulsion ramps up across the U.S. This phased approach reflects our long-term investment in Colorado’s vibrant aerospace community.”

Globally, Safran has more than 76,800 employees.

Denver Gazette business reporter Bernadette Berdychowski contributed to this report.