Arvada, CO

A 35-year-old Colorado company that develops and manufactures medical products for clients worldwide is expanding its operation and moving into a 34,000-square-foot facility in Arvada.

ERI Group, formerly Evergreen Research, has leased the new manufacturing space and expects it to be up and running later this year. The company, whose main site is in Genesee, has doubled its workforce over the past year to about 100 employees and anticipates the staff growing to roughly 150 by the end of 2025.

“The addition of the Arvada office provides significant expansion to our manufacturing operations,” said Natasha Bond, president of ERI Group. “This is an investment to make the operations more efficient and really set the group up for success.”

The core of the company’s business involves the design and development of medical products. ERI also provides quality assurance and regulatory services.

“We also do diagnostic equipment, some laboratory equipment. And we actually do some environmental-monitoring equipment and high-end sports equipment,” Bond said.

The company’s mission is to enable entrepreneurs “to bring life-changing products to market,” Bond added.

The ERI Group’s clients include the creators of LUCI, smart wheelchair technology. Barry Dean and his brother, Jered Dean, a former Colorado School of Mines professor, started a company after designing and engineering features for a wheelchair used by Barry’s daughter to make it safer and able to connect to the internet.

The work on LUCI is a good example of what makes the ERI team special, said Bond, who joined the company two years ago.

“We helped them the first time around. They went out to the market and had some success. They came back with market feedback and wanted additional features,” Bond said. “We brought it in for about a month of really intensive work and brought the LUCI team to take a look at some of the options we put together, of where we might take the product for them.”

The ERI Group doesn’t create its own products.

“We are a service company. We develop and manufacture our customers’ products,” Bond said. “We are effectively a team of experts that somebody can wrap around a good idea to help it forward.”

The business became ERI Group two years ago when the former owners retired. The company is now backed by private equity that is Denver-based, Bond said. The company has seen business grow while maintaining longtime clients, including customers No. 1, 2 and 4 from 35 years ago, she added.

In 2022, ERI merged with LINK Product Development, a Denver-based industrial design and engineering studio.

About 75% of ERI Group’s clients are in the U.S. Others are in Mexico, Canada, Israel. New Zealand and Europe. Bond said the work ranges from putting in millions of dollars worth of effort into one project while providing a few hours of help for another with meeting regulatory requirements.

“We probably have a hundred projects open at any one time,” Bond said.

She said Colorado is the perfect setting for ERI Group. The company’s staff has expertise in mechanical, electrical, software and systems engineering as well as quality-assurance and regulatory consulting services.

The value of the availability in Colorado of highly skilled, highly motivated team members “who, frankly, are an absolute joy to work with can’t be overstated,” Bond said.

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ARVADA, Colo. (KDVR) — Arvada is getting ready to make long-term improvements to Olde Town and city officials want input from people who live, work and visit.

Wednesday evening, Arvada hosted an open house to share a draft plan of its Olde Town strategic reinvestment plan with the community.

“Arvada is a destination, and what we are in charge of as stewards of Olde Town is making it an environment that people want to come,” Ryan Stachelski, director of community and economic development for the City of Arvada, said.

Pedestrian zones could stay in Olde Town Arvada

One of the main ideas being put forth is to keep the pedestrian zones that were implemented during the pandemic.

“Olde Town changed a lot as a result of the pandemic. We closed some streets and we wanted to make sure that we could accommodate social distancing and help businesses. Well, the community loved it so much that we really wanted to see how can we maintain what is going on but then take it that next step further,” Stachelski said.

“Pedestrian footpaths in Olde Town is something that we always have been hoping for,” Gavin Estes said.

Estes runs New Image Brewing Company, which has been operating a brewpub location in Olde Town Arvada for the past seven years.

While he said he is excited about the possibility that improvements to the area will attract new customers, he believes there are logistical challenges that need to be considered too.

“I think directing traffic to the RTD garage could probably be a good thing,” he said.

Arvada considering Olde Town parking issues

According to Stachelski, street closures have led to increased frustration among visitors over parking.

“Usually the things we hear is being able to park close to the businesses they want to do and then the distances that they may need to walk to be able to get to those businesses,” Stachelski said.

He said there is plenty of free parking at the Olde Town RTD stop for anyone wishing to visit nearby businesses.

Stachelski said Arvada genuinely wants to know what the community believes works and what does not as it moves forward with its plans. The final project is meant to be the vision for the next 20 years.

Arvada is collecting survey results from the public through April 5. After that, city leaders will collaborate to finalize designs and secure funding. Construction could begin as early as 2024.

DENVER (KDVR) — President Joe Biden fell while on stage at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation.

Thursday, Biden was in Colorado Springs for the USAFA graduation which he attended as the commencement speaker.

In a video at the ceremony, Biden shakes the hands of one of the cadets who received their diploma and appears to trip over a black sandbag and fall onto the stage. He is then helped up by at least three Air Force officials.

The president appeared to be OK and stayed through the end of the ceremony.

As he got back on his feet, Biden pointed to the place on stage where he lost his balance. “He’s fine,” tweeted Ben LaBolt, the White House communications director. “There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands.”

“I got sandbagged,” the president told reporters with a smile when he arrived back at the White House on Thursday evening before pretending to jog into the residence. Two small black sandbags had been onstage supporting the teleprompter used by Biden and other speakers at the graduation.

Biden is 80 years old and announced that he will run for reelection for a second term. Biden would be 82 at the start of a second term. He was the oldest president ever to be sworn-in when he took office in 2020.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

By Rylee Dunn.

Posted Friday, February 17, 2023 2:08 pm

rdunn@coloradocommunitymedia.com

When Oscar Padilla — Chef and Founder of Arvada’s Gaucho Parilla (“Cowboy Barbeque,” translated) — won the Feb. 7 episode of the popular Food Network cooking competition "Chopped," he knew exactly what he would do with the $10,000 prize money: give it to his wife.

“My wife at some point, she put on hold her career,” Padilla said. “She’s sacrificed her dreams to bring me support and help with my dreams and my career. It’s time to pay it back. I want to bring that opportunity to her equal to the opportunity she’s brought to me. It’s so important to me that she continues learning and growing in her career.”

Padilla was born in Los Angeles and has Mexican heritage, which he says inspires his cooking. He and his wife have two children, and the wood fire chef has made a name for himself in the Colorado culinary scene through gigs at Toro and Hotel CLIO.

He opened Gaucho Parilla last month at Freedom Street Social in West Arvada to rave reviews. The restaurant is a spin-off of his wood fire catering business; A Fuego. Padilla’s experience working with a variety of meat and open flames helped him greatly on "Chopped" — the theme of which, for his episode, was “Pig Candy.”

Padilla said that he’s been approached to appear on "Chopped" before, but scheduling issues made an appearance unfeasible.

He let the Arvada Press into a little production secret: the chefs who are invited to appear are often given the option between multiple episode themes. Padilla’s episode was filmed in New York in October.

“When they contacted me, I’m so proud to receive that invitation,” Padilla said. “They offered me the opportunity to participate in two different episodes. That one I feel is better for me right now, because I’m an expert in open fire; wood fire is my heritage from my family, is the cuisine I want to do. Playing and working with fire is my passion.”

Padilla’s passion carried him through the first two rounds of a competition, where he skillfully made an appetizer and an entree from a limited basket of ingredients, wowing the celebrity guest judges both times.

The third and final challenge of the episode — the dessert challenge — was uniquely difficult for Padilla, who says he prefers to eat sweets than make them. He says he was planning on making churros or a donut, but that plan fell apart when the basket he was given contained premade donuts.

Improvising on the spot, Padilla explained in a frustrated confessional, “I’m not a pastry chef; I’m a wood fire chef.”

The momentary discouragement did not go to his head, however. Padilla got to work deconstructing the donuts and fashioning them into Banuelos, a Latin American fried dough fritter.

“I love desserts, I’m amazing with dessert — eating, not making or prepping,” Padilla said. “Sweetness and desserts, I have a lot of respect for pastry chefs; it’s a challenge for me. It’s a lot of technique; cake, ganache, to work with chocolate, to work with sugar or caramels. I prefer the fire, the meat, the steam. that is my art. That’s why I’m not touching a lot of the sweetness.”

Despite the curveball, Padilla’s Banuelos won over the judges. He won the competition handily and accepted the prize money in an emotional scene while holding one of his daughter’s stuffed animals — a pig named Pancho, naturally.

“I feel like my family will be so proud of me,” Padilla said as credits rolled. “Thank you, Pancho.”

Pancho now has a home at Gaucho Parilla in a miniature pigpen, next to a chalkboard celebrating Padilla’s ‘Chopped’ win.

“The last 48 hours have been crazy,” Padilla said days after his episode aired. “Everybody’s seen you on TV; I’m so excited and so impressed about the reaction of the people. “

In addition to supporting his family, Padilla wants to share the cuisine of his culture with Coloradans across the state, which he says has given himself and his family an amazing life.

“One of my priorities is celebrating wood fire, the tradition of Latin America — or why not, North America with the traditional barbecue,” Padilla said. “Whatever people want with wood fire or smoke, it’s awesome. Bringing cuisine from Mexico, from Latin America; that is my heritage."

Padilla continued that that is why he wants to share it with everybody.

“Latin American cuisine I feel is a beautiful world of opportunities to share with Colorado," he said.

Gaucho Parilla is part of Freedom Street Social, located at 15177 Candelas Parkway in Arvada.

Arvada skaters of all varieties now have a new spot for all their gear, maintenance and training needs. Denver Skates Shop in Olde Town opened its doors for a soft opening on March 6 and will host a grand opening on April 1.

The shop, as the name suggests, caters to all conduits of skating; quads, inlines and skateboards. Owner Afton Hill said the shop will be a retail store, maintenance shop and the site of lessons for skating and roller dancing. The shop will also offer skatepark lessons.

Hill said her goal for the shop is to become a one-stop shop for all skating needs — including getting the fundamentals down in order to safely cruise around.

“It’s somewhere you can come, try good skates on, and get a free 30-minute lesson with your first pair of skates,” Hill said. “It’s important to build your foundation, your confidence — skating for the first time can be like Bambi on ice. I want to make sure (clients) are safe.”

The classes offered at Denver Skates Shop will span the spectrum of skill levels, starting at basic fundamentals — how to roll, stop, and skate backward — and continuing to roller dance and learning park basics, such as how to drop in, hand plants and grinding on rails.

Maintenance services offered will include bearing cleaning, wheel rotation, and mounting for custom builds. The shop will also assemble custom skateboards for interested customers.

Hill said she started the shop after working in the industry for years — she’s been involved in the Denver roller derby scene since 2017, and previously worked at Death and Glory Skate Shop — a Denver mainstay that closed its doors at the beginning of the year

After a somewhat tumultuous ending to her tenure there — an old general manager of the store purchased the Death and Glory name and opened another location, which isn’t affiliated to the original store —Hill sought out a clean slate.

“After (the old GM) took over that location, moving from there to here seemed more manageable,” Hill said. “It gives us a fresh start to show the community who we really are and who we’re targeting towards.”

Hill hopes the shop will become a safe haven for families, young people, beginners and experts alike.

Lessons at the shop will be offered frequently, with fundamental classes held between 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday; dance (which is geared towards beginners) will be from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; and dance two (for experienced skaters) offered between 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Memberships are available for folks who would likely attend multiple classes. Park lessons will be held at Cushing Skate Park in Englewood.

The shop will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for retail sales. Hill says she has a core team of four employees that she would like to grow as the shop evolves and hosts more lessons.

Hill explained that Arvada was offered a great location to open the type of shop that she wanted to.

“Arvada’s always been family oriented; I wanted the shop to be inclusive and shared together,” Hill said. “Arvada really fits that boot of being family oriented but still having an edge to it.”

The shop is located at 5777 Olde Wadsworth Blvd. Hill said the shop will post updates on social media @thedenverskateshop.

Keywords

skate shop, arvada, olde town, denver skates shop, afton hill

4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday

Closed on Monday.

Pizzas by the slice after 9:30 p.m.

Phone: (720) 749-4928

Address: 5614 Olde Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada, CO 8000

Website: www.dinemangiami.com

No reservations required

rdunn@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Mangiami’s, the latest addition to Olde Town Arvada’s dining scene, features a mission — Italian fusion featuring Detroit-style pizza — encapsulated by a simple name: “Eat me.”

True to form, the latest endeavor from Owners Olivia and Nicholas Allmond — the latter of whom serves as the restaurant’s head chef — serves up innovative yet comforting fare that invites diners to do exactly what the name suggests.

In addition to five Detroit-style pizzas and a build-your-own pizza option, the eatery will offer homemade minestrone soup, a rustic pot roast with a demiglace mushroom reduction, homemade mashed potatoes and roasted heirloom carrots.

“We are going to be Italian fusion, as I guess you could say, with Detroit-style pizza,” Olivia said. “And Detroit-style pizza is going to be like a square deep dish, a crispy, buttery, airy crust. We're both from Detroit. So, it's kind of like our home, our home pizza that we grew up on. So yeah, I wanted to bring it into town.”

The restaurant’s décor features the Allmond’s art collection and poster collection — Nicholas points out a poster from a Phish show he and Olivia went to while she was pregnant — and includes references to 90’s pop culture — the napkins are stylized to resemble the Notorious B.I.G.’s trademark bandana. House spaghetti is appropriately titled “Mom’s spaghetti” in a nod to Eminem.

“Art is a big thing, and flavor,” Nicholas said. “Culinary arts; we’re trying to get art in our music, art on our walls, art on your plate.”

The Allmonds previously owned and operated popular Olde Town vegan restaurant Urban Beets, which closed in 2021. While the pair are still vegetarians, Mangiami’s menu is not, and instead is 33% vegan, 33% vegetarian and 33% carnivore.

Nicholas said that incorporating meet into the menu has been a “balancing act,” but that a collaborative kitchen staff — including two former Urban Beets Chefs; Alex Zikowitzy and Kevin Cooper — have helped switch up decades-old recipes.

“It's been a balancing act of trying to figure out where we can sneak meat into our menu and do it in a way where we don't have to sacrifice too many animals,” Nicholas said. “And we can still appease all of our meat-eating friends. So that's really where it started. We have so many recipes here in our database, but they're going to be vegetarian or vegan. So now it really becomes, ‘How do we incorporate some dishes for our friends that we wouldn't necessarily?’”

“I have a great team,” Nicholas continued. “And some of them are meat eaters, and they're happy to kind of pitch in. Some of my favorite foods are meat foods. I am still tasting the foods. I am still writing the recipes with my chefs and critiquing them. Just because I'm not consuming them doesn't mean I don't have my eye all over them. And sharing excellence on our plate. I may not like it, but we got to do it.”

While some of the offerings at Mangiami’s, like the all’ amatriciana — a braised pancetta red sauce — are newer additions to Nicholas’ recipe book, his marinara recipe has been in the works for over 20 years, since he was in college outside of Detroit. Thus, he says, the restaurant’s menu features a mix of finely refined favorites and heavily workshopped new experiments.

Both Allmonds say they hope Mangiami’s appeals to a wider customer base than Urban Beets did but would also like the eatery to stand out in the Olde Town scene.

“I hope that we're just different,” Nicholas said. “Completely different. I will not stab at anyone; I love a lot of places around here. But the goal wasn't to make something that everyone else was accustomed to. We're trying to be different here.

“We're trying to incorporate, you know, Biggie Smalls bandanas, china, and fine food, you know, it's a little oxymoronic,” Nicholas continued. “I don't think it makes sense. And that is kind of the point, it almost makes no sense. And it doesn't really fit in here. And that's part of the beauty of it.”

Keywords

mangiami's, urban beets, arvada, olde town, restaurants, dining, detroit pizza