I HATE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO, BUT…: Colorado’s aerospace industry fears it may be losing ground.

Colorado’s aerospace and defense industry has soared above other states for years but it may be losing ground and risks poachers, especially from the southern Sun Belt states, according to a new report commissioned by the Colorado Chamber Foundation.

“Stakeholders believe that we remain a globally influential hub (but) also say the industry is being taken for granted and that the state is coasting on momentum,” Rachel Beck, executive director, said at an event Thursday to share findings with local aerospace executives from firms like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. “And they warn that the state’s historical advantages are dissipating and that our business climate is eroding.”

The report, conducted by consulting firm Economic Leadership in North Carolina, was similar to past Chamber reports intended to spotlight how state regulations and policies are negatively impacting the business community. But this was different from the Chamber relocation report in April that cited 98 companies that have left Colorado since 2019. It noted the aerospace industry still punches above its weight.

But: “Colorado’s 14.4% aerospace job growth landed the state in the bottom half of the nation, as the 26th fastest growth rate last year. South Carolina topped the list at 37.4%, according to data crunched by consultants at Economic Leadership in North Carolina.”

Full background on my state’s rapid decline here: ‘F’ Is for Democrat: Colorado’s Collapse Under One-Party Rule.