Estes Industries (aka Estes-Cox Corp.) is a company that was started in Denver, Colorado, USA. The company was the first to mass-produce model rocket engines with consistent and reliable performance. The company soon began producing model rocket kits, launch equipment and other accessories. In 1961, the company was moved to a 77-acre tract of land on the outskirts of Penrose, Colorado. Rapid growth followed and soon Penrose became known as the "Model Rocket Capital of the World". In 1969 Vernon Estes sold the company to the Damon Corporation of Needham Hts, MA. Damon purchased a number of other hobby companies including a smaller competitor of Estes, Centuri Engineering of Phoenix, AZ. Damon merged the two companies under the name Centuri Engineering. The Penrose entity continued doing bus