Dedicated Destinations for Defense

Like many industries before it, the South's defense industry has grown to be one of the largest in the world. Department of Defense installations are migrating to the South in droves along with their prime suppliers with tens of thousands of new jobs being created. If you are a defense industry supplier, this guide to destinations in the South for the defense industry should be of great value.

ALABAMA

Huntsville, Ala.

Huntsville is home to one of the world's largest defense industry clusters. Including onsite contractors, the U.S. Army/Redstone Arsenal employs more than 25,000 individuals. There are over 7,000 employees at Huntsville's NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center and The Boeing Co., SAIC, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon all have huge operations in Huntsville. Defense contractors with significant facilities in Huntsville are too numerous to list, but some of the fastest growing include Torch Technologies, Eagle Support Services, Logicore, Radiance Technologies, Qualis and Gray Research.

FLORIDA

Pinellas County, Fla.

Defense companies in Pinellas County, Fla. recognize that a vibrant cluster of local vendors plays a key role in the success and sustainability of the industry cluster. Prime contractors such as ATK, Cobham, DRS, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon have teamed with small to mid-sized firms and Pinellas County Economic Development on several initiatives to that end. The Pinellas Area Federal Contractors Association (www.floridafederalcontractors.org) provides networking, marketing, and educational opportunities for its member companies throughout the supply chain. The annual Pinellas Technology & Business Innovation Exchange showcases local defense capabilities to purchasing representatives of the nation’s largest prime contractors.

Orlando, Fla.

Metro Orlando is recognized as a hub for the simulation industry with more than 100 companies and nearly 17,000 employees. Nearly every soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan has trained on simulation technologies and systems developed here. The nation’s military simulation training commands are based here, as is the National Center for Simulation and the headquarters for Lockheed Martin and SAIC’s simulation operations. And, because of the cluster of the industry in Orlando, major defense contracts are awarded to companies based here … and Central Florida has become one of the most fertile grounds in the U.S. for small business defense contracts.

Jacksonville, Fla.

The military employs 46,000 active duty and civilian personnel in Jacksonville at four Navy bases: NAS Jacksonville, NAS Mayport, Blount Island Command and Kings Bay Submarine Base.  Economic developers are promoting development opportunities at former NAS Cecil Field, now a modern industrial park under the new name - Cecil Commerce Center. More than $120 million has been spent on infrastructure improvements and site readiness over the last decade. The City of Jacksonville is finalizing agreements to partner with Hillwood Development to market 2,000 acres of greenfield space at Cecil. The Jacksonville Aviation Authority maintains control over the 12,500 foot runway - the second longest in Florida - and is pursuing aviation related manufacturing, assembly MRO and air cargo tenants. The aviation industry is a major economic cluster in Jacksonville, with operations by Boeing, FlightStar, Alenia North America, Northrop Grumman and Kaman Aerospace.

Tampa Bay, Fla.

Tampa Bay, home to U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations, both located within MacDill Air Force Base, has a long history as a major destination for the defense industry. Heavy hitters like Honeywell, Raytheon, Lockheed, L-3 and others have substantial technology and manufacturing facilities in the region employing thousands of engineers and technicians. As important, the market is abundant with smaller defense contractors offering niche technology expertise including companies like Automotive Armor Inc., ITW Military GSE, Radiant Power Corp., Gyrocam and Pierce Manufacturing Inc. Additionally, a strong collective of defense related research base organizations have clustered in the region including USF’s Center for Biological Defense, SRI International and Draper Labs.

Northwest Florida

Florida's Great Northwest, known for its exceptional quality of life, is a location of choice for the aviation industry. Home to more than 400 aerospace and defense companies, the region boasts significant R&D activities through its universities, globally-recognized research institutions, and national defense laboratories. Aerospace and defense accounts for between 32,000 and 37,000 private sector and non-military government employees in Northwest Florida. Combined with the 35,000 enlisted personnel at the regions seven military installations, the industry boasts a workforce of approximately 70,000. Through its targeted emphasis on IT and engineering programs, Northwest Florida is aggressively addressing the aerospace industry’s growing need for skilled employees.

Pensacola: The Cradle of Naval Aviation

Military activity in Northwest Florida has long been a major source of employment for area residents. After all, Naval Air Station Pensacola is known as “the Cradle of Naval Aviation” and nearby Eglin Air Force Base hosts the new F-35 joint strike fighter training.

Today the entire region, stretching from Pensacola to Panama City, contains one of the largest concentrations of military installations in the nation. It should be of no surprise that the region also hosts a large concentration of defense contractors.

A 2008 study conducted by the University of West Florida Haas Center for Business Research and Economic Development reported total defense spending in the region at more than $6 billion. This included approximately $2.3 billion in annual defense procurement expenditures. The total regional economic impact exceeds $15.5 billion annually and accounts for over 220,000 direct and indirect military and civilian jobs.

The concentration of active and retired military in the region is one of the reasons Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU), the largest federally chartered credit union in the nation, located in Pensacola. NFCU recently celebrated the opening of their third building on a 60 acre campus. Employment at the financial services campus has already reached 1,200 with plenty of room to grow.

The NW Florida region is home to Tyndall Air Force Base and Naval Support Activity Panama City, Bay County; Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field, Okaloosa County; Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Santa Rosa County and Naval Air Station Pensacola, Escambia County.  .

Whether designing smart bombs; performing aircraft maintenance; training pilots or installing IT networks, defense contractors in the region provide thousands of highly paid jobs. There are also many synergies between military commands within the region, educational institutions and the private sector. Defense contractors in the region include units of Boeing, General Dynamics, Raytheon, L-3 Communications, and local entrepreneurial companies such as Hixardt Technology, a minority owned IT company which recently landed several large defense contracts.

The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, a Pensacola based research institute, is focused on human performance and artificial intelligence.  Over 100 researchers and support staff work with the Department of Defense, NASA and private industry in researching many facets of the interface between humans and artificial intelligence.

One example of this synergy is the development of new physical training techniques for special operations forces at Hurlburt Field by specialists at the Andrews Institute in Santa Rosa County. Physicians at Andrews are best known for conducting orthopedic surgery procedures and physical rehabilitation for major sports figures. The physical therapy regimen has proven just as effective in developing strength and agility for special ops forces as for football stars.

Pensacola has now hosted two annual symposia on medical informatics, the result of a convergence of our military and healthcare partners (two of Pensacola’s major industries) as a means to grow our economic base. The Strategic Health Intelligence Summit has focused on developing a national model for health information sharing and is attracting interest and participation from technology heavyweights like Dell, Intel, IBM, Microsoft and Google.

Recently, the Navy initiated an Enhance Use Lease (EUL) program at Saufley Field to reduce overall operating costs and improve economic opportunities in the community. Saufley, an underutilized training asset in the Pensacola area, contains nearly 700,000 square feet of buildings and 6,000 ft cross runways.  The future development of this location for private sector companies offers the opportunity for continued growth of the aviation, aerospace and defense contracting industry cluster in the region.

GEORGIA

Augusta, Ga.

Augusta has a reputation for having an outstanding workforce, and a big part of that is Fort Gordon’s Information Technology training. Fort Gordon is home of the US Army Signal Center and School, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, the Southeast Regional Medical Command, and a host of other commands and agencies from across the joint forces of the United States. Fort Gordon trains more military personnel than any other branch training center of the U.S. Army. The multifaceted mission of Fort Gordon encompasses training, doctrine, force integration and mobilization for all branches of the military in computers, communications, logistics, medical and other high technology fields. These cutting edge skills are exactly what Augusta manufacturing, customer service companies, and highly innovative companies want in a first-class employee. It is estimated that every person trained at Fort Gordon will leave the military with skills that can easily be utilized in the private sector. Fort Gordon is home to more than 28,000 military personnel and civilian employees.

Columbus, Ga.

Located adjacent to Columbus, Ga., Fort Benning is rapidly becoming the center of gravity for war fighting, opening the region to unprecedented economic advancement in defense-related business. The relocation of the US Army Armor School to Fort Benning by September 2011 will transform the Army’s largest training installation into the Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCOE). All things related to preparing and equipping the ground-gaining forces - including weapons, equipment, vehicles, tactics, research and training simulations - will either be defined or approved through Fort Benning’s MCOE organization, making it the epicenter of activity for doing business with the US Army.

Liberty County, Ga.
Liberty County, Ga. is home to Fort Stewart, which is the largest Army installation east of the Mississippi River. Fort Stewart’s soldier population has steadily increased since FY02 when it was 14,689. That population was 17,603 in FY08, and it is anticipated to grow to 21,849 by FY13.
Each month 200 – 300 soldiers exit Fort Stewart, and many of them seek civilian job opportunities. These “Heroes for Hire” are computer savvy, cross-trained, drug free, possess a strong work ethic, and provide an incredible workforce solution.  Additionally, 13,000 military spouses, 95% whom have high school degrees and one-third with some post-secondary education, reside in the Liberty County area.

Albany-Dougherty County, Georgia
Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany, one of two such bases in the country and the only one in the East, is a three-pronged operation that employs 4,300 people, making it the largest area employer. The 3,600-acre base has an economic impact of $987.4 million. Locally, it has spurred 200 logistics firms and 3,500 logistics-related jobs. The operation is comprised of the base proper, Maintenance Center Albany (MCA) and the headquarters of Marine Corps Logistics Command (LOGCOM). Through MCA, which has earned U.S. Department of Defense awards for innovations that save lives, comes nearly every piece of machinery used in support of the mission. LOGCOM provides logistical support for USMC operations worldwide.

Macon and Middle Georgia
With the largest industrial complex in the state, Robins Air Force Base, the Macon and middle Georgia area is truly “Georgia’s Aviation Corridor”. The Warner Robins Air Logistics Center serves as the global center of excellence in the MRO of the C-130, C-5 and C-17 platforms as well as the “sustainment manager” for Combat Systems. Over 30,000 trained aviation employees perform all facets of aerospace manufacturing; maintenance and overhaul; and electronics systems design, development, testing and support for customers and programs throughout the world. Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, Northrop-Grumman, Timco, Raytheon, and Vought are just a few with manufacturing or support operations in middle Georgia.

LOUISIANA

Central Louisiana

The U.S. Army’s Fort Polk, located in the western-central part of the state, in Leesville, LA, is the state’s second-largest employer (16,000), exceeded only by the state government itself. Polk’s annual economic impact is over $1.6B.The primary mission of Fort Polk is to support selected units designated for potential deployment in national defense. Secondarily, its premiere Joint Readiness Training Center trains some 4,000 members of other U.S. and allied military forces monthly in location-specific deployment skills, each receiving the most challenging and realistic combat training possible. It is currently proceeding with a program to expand its maneuver training area via the purchase from willing sellers of up to 100,000 contiguous acres. 

Northwest Louisiana
Barksdale Air Force Base in Northwest Louisiana has been designated as the Major Command Headquarters for the Global Strike Command (USAF Nuclear Enterprise). The Cyber Innovation Center (CIC) is a private/public alliance that was formed to promote and accelerate research, explore and develop emerging technologies, compliment and support the Air Force and other Federal agencies in the Cyber and Global Strike (nuclear) mission, and provides the collateral benefit of this research and development to the United States at large. The CIC, along with its members, will leverage and compliment the growing nuclear and cyber activities of Northwest Louisiana.

MARYLAND

Hagerstown-Washington County, Md.
Located one hour from the Baltimore/Washington metro area at the intersection of Interstates 70 and 81, Hagerstown, Maryland is in the Crossroads of Successful Business. Hagerstown Regional Airport (HGR) has an established defense presence with over 40 firms including Northrop Grumman and Sierra Nevada Corporation located on the complex – plus room for additional development.  An ideal place to conduct defense related work, HGR is outside of Washington DC’s highly-controlled air traffic area, but still within an hour’s drive of the Pentagon. Existing infrastructure such as the extended airport runway, aviation workforce, telecommunications, and local shipping powerhouses nearby, help businesses easily succeed at HGR. 

MISSISSIPPI

Columbus, Miss.

Columbus-Lowndes County, Mississippi is uniquely positioned to provide the resources needed to manufacture defense-related products. Unmanned Aerial Systems, military helicopters, shoulder-launched weapons systems, plug-in optronic payloads (POP) and military uniforms are all produced by companies inLowndes County. Columbus is also the home of Columbus Air Force Base (CAFB), where the nation's best and brightest come to train as pilots for the U.S. Air Force. It is also the home of American Eurocopter, which builds the U.S. Army's UH-72A Lakota Helicopter.

NORTH CAROLINA

Southeast North Carolina

Anchored by Fort Bragg, North Carolina's Southeast is a lucrative backdrop for defense-related enterprises. Bragg, the longtime home of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division, 44th Medical Command and 18th Soldier Support Group, will soon house the headquarters of the U.S. Army Forces Command ("FORSCOM") and the Army Reserve Command. Adjacent Pope Air Force Base will welcome a new Air Operations Group. The military's expanding presence complements multi-modal transportation systems, including the Port of Wilmington, acclaimed colleges and universities, affordable industrial buildings and business-friendly local governments in making the region the ideal destination for defense suppliers and service providers.

Craven County, N.C.

Craven County has eastern North Carolina's largest employer situated strategically in Havelock, N.C. Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point is very pleased with the local community. They like to share their inspiration for aviation. One third of the county's population is a recipient of DoD matching income. Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) East is located aboard MCAS Cherry Point. It is one of six naval aviation maintenance operations in the continental US. FRC East is the only DoD activity with depart-level, vertical takeoff and landing maintenance capability. The center has a workforce of 3,700 aviation, military and contract personnel. FRC East employs over 450 engineers and technicians and over 25 logisticians. They supply support for such aircraft as the AV-8, C-130 and it is the designated repair point for all East Coast airframe and life frame repair work for the Joint Strike Fighter. Just outside the main gate are well-known aviation giants like AAR, Boeing, CAT Logistics and Sikorsky.

Kinston, N.C.
The N.C. Global TransPark (GTP), in eastern North Carolina, is close to seven major military installations, including the U.S. Army at Fort Bragg, Pope AFB, Seymour Johnson AFB and three major U.S. Marine installations. More than 416,000 people in the state are directly or indirectly employed by the military.  About 35,000 North Carolinians work on military contracts. The GTP, the newest location of aircraft component manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems, Inc., offers a fully-equipped airport and an 11,500-foot runway as its centerpiece. The 2,400-acre business park is home to defense-related industries and seeks to becomethe preeminent aviation/aerospace research, development and manufacturing complex in the eastern U.S.

Wayne County, N.C.

Wayne County, N.C. has been the home of Seymour Johnson AFB for over 65 years. Therefore, the area understands and capitalizes on the uniqueness those personnel contribute to the workforce by promoting the county as an ideal location for defense related and aviation/aerospace industries. More than half of Seymour Johnson’s military professionals choose to stay in the Wayne County area when completing their military career.

"Mini-Pentagons" coming to Fayetteville-Cumberland County, N.C.

Three years ago, the Department of Defense mandated major changes, which affected military installations across the nation, and as a result, BRAC 2005 (Base Realignment and Closure) announced that Fayetteville, N.C. would become the new home of the United States Forces Command (FORSCOM) and the United States Army Reserve Headquarters (USARC). With the relocation of these two major commands, which many refer to as “mini-Pentagons,” the 11-county region surrounding Fort Bragg is expected to gain over 40,000 new residents between now and 2011 and hundreds of new businesses.

According to officials at Fort Bragg, over $1.3 billion in construction projects are underway and in the process of being planned in preparation for the growth of the installation that is already considered the largest army installation in the United States. Fort Bragg home of the 82nd Airborne and several other specialty units, is preparing to embrace this new growth with the $289 million, 700,000-square-foot, combined headquarters for FORSCOM and USARC. Cumberland County has been in overdrive, preparing to welcome not only the new soldiers and their families with their nationally ranked housing market, but also the companies that are expected to locate to the area in order to build business relationships as slices of the $30 billion contract services pie begin to be handed out by this command.

In March, 2008 RLM Communications, a company that provides critical communications contracting to Fort Bragg, broke ground on its new facilities in Freedom Center, a business park located in Spring Lake, adjacent to Pope Air Force Base. As construction of RLM’s facilities move forward, there will soon be space available for interested, like businesses.

In October 2008, Cumberland County announced the ground breaking of a second business park, the Military Business Park, An All American Business Center, in Fayetteville. This 215-acre business park offers a variety of lot sizes, starting at 2 acres. The Military Business Park sits along the All American Expressway and borders Fort Bragg, giving those who locate there direct access to their military clients.

In 2005 and 2006 the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce started two innovative programs to grow local companies. The North Carolina Military Business Center, today a statewide program, counsels businesses on how to become and succeed as government contractors. The Center has been extremely successful in creating jobs through business expansion. A second innovative  program, the Defense and Security Technology Accelerator (DSTA), has graduated several businesses from its incubation program that are now  suppliers for our armed forces. DSTA today has a global reach and is working with research and development institutions across the nation and the world.

Today, site selectors and media outlets across the nation are taking note. >From mentions in USAA magazine as a great place to locate, to PARADE commenting on the stability of the Cumberland County housing market, Time magazine calling the area “the most pro-military town in America,” and Southern Business & Development who noticed its ‘Hot Economy in a Cold Climate,’ Fayetteville is proven to be a great place to do business.

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma City, Okla.

Oklahoma City now boasts the most modern Air Force manufacturing facility in the U.S. - the Tinker Aerospace Complex (TAC). The TAC presents an unprecedented opportunity for defense-related contractors to work alongside their military partners in a 3.8 million-square-foot maintenance and manufacturing facility, creating new synergies and efficiencies along the way. With a skilled and growing workforce pool, a variety of state & local incentives and well-known partnerships between military, public and civic leadership, Oklahoma City and the Tinker Aerospace Complex make for an outstanding defense industry location.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Beaufort County, S.C.

Beautiful Beaufort County, S.C., has become an area of focus for defense contractors. Already home to several companies that build military components, including lasers and small engines, Beaufort County also boasts a workforce made up of thousands of highly trained and technically skilled former military men and women. With the anticipated 2014 arrival of the F-35 at MCAS Beaufort and Beaufort County’s central location between Shaw and Eglin air force bases and MCAS Cherry Point, the region is well positioned to serve as the supply hub for the F-35 and its maintenance suppliers.

Sumter County, S.C.
Being ever ready to project America’s air power around the globe is what Sumter, South Carolina’ Shaw Air Force Base is all about. And like its military counterpart, the civilian side of Sumter is ever ready to assist companies seeking to project their business power on a global scale. With the 20% growth of Shaw, and the relocation of the U.S. Army’s ARCENT headquarters (formerly the Third Army), Shaw’s presence and influence will soon be stronger than ever. Sumter and Shaw are qualified and positioned to host any defense-oriented company’s presence, projecting business strength and readiness like few other communities can.

TENNESSEE

Coffee County, Tenn.

Middle Tennessee’s Coffee County is home to the U.S. Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Center, the world’s largest complex of flight simulation test facilities. AEDC tests aircraft, engines, rockets and spacecraft for all branches of the military, NASA and commercial aerospace companies. Other area aerospace-related facilities include a Goodrich plant that manufactures landing gear for commercial aircraft companies, ATK that manufactures wind tunnel models and flight test vehicles for commercial and government agencies and the Schmiede Corp. that manufactures aircraft and spacecraft components. Also local is the University of Tennessee Space Institute, an aerospace-related graduate school and research institute.

Clarksville-Montgomery Co., Tenn.

Clarksville-Montgomery County, Tenn. is home to Fort Campbell Military Post. The installation is the largest employer in the states of Tennessee and Kentucky combined with approximately 30,000 soldiers and 4,300 civilian workers. The post is home to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), and the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). The post has been in a continuous deployment cycle to the Middle East since 2003.

TEXAS

San Antonio, Tex.

San Antonio, the nation’s seventh largest city, has the tools for defense companies to thrive. A new cyber command center for the Air Force joined defense missions at three current and two former military bases as well as more than 60 private high-tech and cyber security companies. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a National Security Agency recognized Center of Academic Excellence for its leadership in the field of infrastructure assurance and security. By 2011, San Antonio will become home to the Department of Defense’s medical training and research. With infrastructure prepared and a qualified workforce of 950,000, San Antonio is mission ready.

Corpus Christi, Tex.

Port Corpus Christi, a strategic military seaport, shares Corpus Christi Bay with two United States Navy facilities. Naval Station Ingleside, which will close in 2010, is the focus of intense redevelopment activity. The Port and Texas A&M University System recently signed an agreement that will turn the 17 year-old base into a one-of-a-kind R&D center. Looking across Corpus Christi Bay to a horizon of exciting possibilities, John LaRue, Port Corpus Christi’s Executive Director believes, “With the intellectual power and entrepreneurial expertise of A&M at work, Ingleside will soon be creating thousands of new technology, energy and defense industry jobs.”

Fort Worth, Tex.

Fort Worth is the headquarters for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. The world's most advanced fighter jets, including the F-35 Lightning, are made in Fort Worth. Bell Helicopter is also headquartered in Fort Worth. Bell assembles a number of military aircraft such as the V-22, Huey II and the Eagle Eye Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. There are dozens of defense industry contractors serving the two companies in the Fort Worth area.

VIRGINIA

Hampton Roads, Va.

The presence of all five military services and associated federal agencies makes Hampton Roads not only a military hub, but also a niche for defense and government related projects. As homeport to the world’s largest naval base, Hampton Roads has over 120,000 active duty military personnel; 13,000 of which exit or retire from the military annually thus replenishing the region’s 800,000 strong workforce with highly skilled, disciplined individuals. Defense expenditures total $14.7 billion, and 7 of the 10 largest defense contractors in the world are in Hampton Roads. In short, with the largest population of military decision makers outside of the Pentagon, and a military presence accounting for 40% of the regional economy, Hampton Roads knows defense.

Gateway Region, Va.

So why is the Gateway Region a Dedicated Destination for Defense? In two words: Fort Lee. The base is currently home to construction projects totaling more than $1.5 billion, the first of which is already operational and the result is over 14 million square feet of facilities. A partnership with Virginia State University to develop the Global Logistics Academy coupled with the new headquarters for the Army’s Combined Arms Support Command means Fort Lee will be the logistics nerve center for the entire U.S. Army and the Gateway Region a Global Logistics center of excellence.

Fairfax County, Va.

Fairfax County, Virginia, minutes from Washington, D.C., and the Pentagon, has one of the world’s largest defense and homeland security industry clusters. Our largest employers include General Dynamics, Booz Allen Hamilton, CSC, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, SAIC, BAE Systems, MITRE, ManTech International and SRA International. These companies and hundreds more from the U.S. and overseas value a Fairfax County location because of the access to customers and partners and a skilled workforce that includes thousands of retired military personnel. Fairfax County’s quality of life includes a top-ranked school system and the myriad cultural and historical attractions of Washington and Virginia.

Virginia Beach, Va.

The Virginia Beach MSA has been called the ‘Pentagon of the South’ with the largest concentration of military installations in the country. The city is home to Naval Air Station Oceana, Fleet Combat Training Center Dam Neck (both are the largest in the world) and Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek. It is a natural magnet for defense-related industries, modeling/ simulation, high-performance manufacturing and engineering employers due to the concentration of highly skilled workers. There are more than 16,000 exiting navy each year seeking new career opportunities. Major defense contractors include ADS Inc., Allied Technology Group, SAIC and VT Milcom.