Dear Friends,

Happy Belated New Year! I may have missed the official window, but I’m here to throw one more cheerful wish into 2026. I hope your holidays were filled with laughter, relaxation, time spent with good friends, an abundance of good food (so many carbs…) and warmth (shout-out to La Niña for the snow-free Colorado Christmas, wahoo!).

Today, I’m writing to you from my desk at Colorado Manufacturing Partners with some exciting news. What a year we had. The momentum from COMP2025, the connections, the conversations, the energy, it sparked one question I heard again and again: What’s next?

What started as a small expo as a step to bring Colorado manufacturers, suppliers, and partners together has now transformed into something much bigger. A statewide mission:

To position Colorado as a national hub for modern manufacturing technology and growth

But whoa. That’s a big goal. Where do we start?

Well, good question. You know that age‑old saying? Something about how to eat an elephant? Well, while I hope to never find out literally – metaphorically, the best approach is clear: don’t try to eat that elephant alone. Invite your friends to dinner (which is so much more fun anyway … especially that one friend).

But really, if we want to make meaningful progress and get Colorado manufacturing where it rightfully should be, we have to come together, forks in hand. So consider this your invitation.

We need you.
Your ideas.
Your services and products.
Your insights, leadership, collaboration, and innovation.
You know, your fork.

So in 2026 and beyond, I’m inviting you to pull up a chair at a renewed and refreshed COMP table: A year-round hub designed to keep connections alive and growing with intention, so we can grow manufacturing together.

To start, COMP will bridge the community through shared events, industry news, stories, and job opportunities submitted by… you! The COMP community. And from there, we’ll figure out what’s next. We love ideas (and idea people) here at COMP, so please, bring them forward.

As for today, you can count on COMP as a place to:

• Discover and share manufacturing events across the state
• Stay informed with relevant industry news and updates
• Spotlight the people and companies driving manufacturing forward
• Promote job openings and workforce opportunities

Which brings me back to my original point. There is absolutely NO. POSSIBLE. WAY. we eat this elephant alone.

Your stories, your events, your programs and resources, your opportunities – they’re the sound bytes that make the elephant manageable. And before you know it, that big, uncomfortable elephant dinner turns into something even better. An incredible dinner party. Full of the most incredible people. Filling important seats at the table. Connecting. Creating. Moving Colorado manufacturing forward.

So reach out and get in touch (ahem, you can do that here). And let us know what important, impressive or innovative (and everything in between) info you’ve got to share with this super cool community, and we’ll get it in queue. For the first 30 days, this service will be free, and moving forward Manufacturing submitted stories will always be free (because…of course).

With that, I’ll end it by formally welcoming you to the COMP table. Throw on a bib (building things can get a little messy). Grab a fork (no plastic please – we like sustainability). And if you know someone who should be at this table, would you forward this message along?

Let’s dig into this community together this year. Let’s unite Colorado manufacturing in a way that drives growth and prosperity, creating visible, lasting impact across our industry, our state, and yes, across our nation. Because all magical things start with connecting, and connecting starts here…at COMP (with you!).

We got this.

Your friend in Manufacturing,

Batina Aloisi
Founder, Colorado Manufacturing Partners