Pretred finds new home in Aurora after lengthy search

You might have encountered products from Rob Volkert’s company without even realizing it

If you’ve been to an Avalanche game, chances are you’ve come across the products made by Rob Volkert’s company.

Rob Volkert serves as the chief operating officer for Pretred, a startup that specializes in transforming old tires into new rubber barriers used along highways or in Ball Arena’s parking lots as an alternative to traditional concrete barriers.

“We produce the first and only sustainable, circular barrier product that utilizes crumb rubber. We take waste tires, grind them into small crumb size, and manufacture these innovative barriers,” Volkert explained.

One of the challenges faced by Pretred is the lack of space and equipment to shred their own tires, resulting in the need to have the shredded material shipped in. However, this is about to change as the company secured an $11.2 million grant from the state to acquire tire shredding equipment. Recently, they also leased a 150,000 square foot space in Aurora, which is three times larger than their current location, marking a significant step towards enhancing their sustainability practices.

The development of their product has been a decade in the making, with sales commencing last year. Volkert anticipates tripling their sales from the previous year in 2025.

Despite challenges in finding suitable space due to the nature of their operations, Pretred eventually found a new home at 6550 N. Denali St. in Hines’ Denali Logistics Park with the assistance of Avison Young brokers Ryan Almaleh and Dawn McCombs.

As they prepare to move into their new space next spring, Pretred plans to increase their team from 29 to 55 employees and expand their tire processing capabilities to include larger industrial truck tires in the future.

Currently, waste tires in Colorado are typically disposed of through burning or burial. Pretred’s operations not only enable tire recycling but also contribute to a circular economy by allowing damaged barriers to be recycled back into new products.

“We’re offering a sustainable solution that is a direct substitute for concrete barriers,” Volkert emphasized.