When most people think of innovation, they probably don’t picture industrial cleaning equipment. But for nearly five decades, Durango-based StoneAge has been quietly powering some of the world’s most essential industries. The company manufactures high-pressure water jetting equipment used to clean everything from refineries and petrochemical plants to food processing facilities and ships. What began as a small manufacturing company in 1979 has grown into a global organization with more than 200 employees worldwide and revenue that has increased more than tenfold under the leadership of CEO Kerry Siggins.
Since taking the reins in 2007, Siggins has helped transform StoneAge into an industry leader while staying true to its Colorado roots. One of the company’s most significant milestones came in 2022, when StoneAge became 100% employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). While employee ownership had long been part of the company’s DNA, the transition expanded participation across the organization and reinforced a culture where every team member has a stake in the company’s future.
“Our goal is to create a significant number of millionaires through employee ownership and build a great company where people love to work.” –Kerry Siggins, CEO, StoneAge
To support that vision, StoneAge introduced what it calls the OWN IT Mindset, a framework built around self-leadership, teamwork, and delivering on the company’s promise to customers. This approach helps employees think and act like owners while creating a shared sense of purpose across the organization. For Siggins, ownership is about more than financial participation. It’s about empowering people to contribute, grow, and create lasting value together. That commitment to culture has become one of StoneAge’s defining strengths and a key differentiator in a highly specialized industry.
StoneAge’s Colorado Companies to Watch journey dates back to the program’s earliest years, when the company was recognized as one of Colorado’s emerging success stories. In fact, Siggins recalls it as one of the first major awards StoneAge received under her leadership. The recognition not only celebrated the company’s growth but also helped elevate awareness of innovative businesses thriving outside the Front Range. It inspired the team to share their story more broadly, attract top talent, and showcase the important role manufacturing continues to play across Colorado. Today, StoneAge is focused on the future. The company continues to develop increasingly automated and autonomous cleaning technologies that improve worker safety, reduce water consumption, and help industrial facilities achieve sustainability goals. At the same time, Siggins is expanding StoneAge’s impact beyond manufacturing through thought leadership and education, including her upcoming book, Talk with Trust, which shares the communication and leadership principles that have helped shape the company’s culture. As StoneAge continues to innovate, one thing remains unchanged: a belief that great businesses are built when people are empowered to think, act, and succeed like owners.