Alquist 3D Deal Positions Greeley As Hub for 3D-Printed Construction Jobs
Aims Community College has signed a five-year agreement with Alquist 3D, a national leader in 3D concrete printing technology, to become the inaugural industry tenant at the Aims Workforce Innovation Center opening in fall 2026. The partnership positions Weld County as a training and testing hub for construction jobs using 3D-printed concrete technology while directly connecting student education to real-world projects in local housing and infrastructure.
Alquist will occupy one of three innovation bays at AWIC, staffing it with 8 to 20 employees depending on project demand. Alquist plans to train and hire Aims students while collaborating with other startups housed in AWIC. The company aims to help establish Aims Greeley as a national center for 3D concrete printing education and research.
"We are proud to be the first tenant in the AWIC building," said Zachary Mannheimer, Founder & Chairman at Alquist 3D. "We know that this is not just for us to do our work, but to create a collaborative space to bring in many other entrepreneurial innovation companies."
Alquist relocated its headquarters to Greeley in late 2023. The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade projects the company's expansion will create 79 net new jobs at an average annual wage of $73,987, with support from $1.1 million in Job Growth Incentive Tax Credits, $335,000 from the state Strategic Fund, and $2.85 million from the City of Greeley.
Alquist is printing homes for Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity's Hope Springs development, a mixed-income community that will include roughly 491 units, and testing 3D-printed curb systems with integrated drainage to be fabricated at Aims. A previous Habitat project in Williamsburg, Virginia, showed potential: Alquist printed the home's exterior walls in about 28 hours and achieved estimated savings of up to 15% per square foot versus traditional construction—a model Greeley hopes to replicate.
Aims launched a noncredit online certificate in summer 2024 and a weekend hands-on workshop in spring 2025, paving the way for a formal 3D concrete printing pathway in its Construction Management program. The pathway prepares students to operate printers and feeds directly into Alquist's hiring pipeline.
The AWIC will function as a business incubator and high-tech learning lab featuring virtual and augmented reality technology, geothermal heating powered by 500-foot wells, and cross-laminated timber construction.
"Aims is excited for the AWIC to become a reality and thrilled that Alquist is the inaugural industry occupant within the innovation bays," said Dr. Leah L. Bornstein, Aims Community College CEO and president. "They are a great community partner."
Aims is planning a beam-signing and topping-off ceremony for AWIC construction this spring, marking progress toward the facility's fall 2026 opening.