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The following development organizations are recipients of Expansion Solutions Magazine’s 2010 Awards of Excellence in the *** Defense*** industry category. These awards recognize organizations who have demonstrated exceptional progress and potential in the development of their areas -- by successfully recruiting, retaining and growing businesses. The winners below are listed in alphabetical order and are reflective of our top 5 selections.
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Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance
Alexandria, LA
www.cenlachamber.org
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.
Columbus Lowndes Development Link
Columbus, MS
www.cldlink.org
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 in Lowndes 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.
Fayetteville - Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce
Fayetteville, NC
www.fayettevillencchamber.org
Fayetteville-Cumberland County, North Carolina is an urban center of nearly 500,000 persons, including the service members at Fort Bragg, the "Home of the 82nd Airborne and Special Operations Forces." As a community, they have supported the men and women of our armed forces through a number of programs. In 2008, Time Magazine called Fayetteville, “The most pro-military town in America.” The strong bond between the community and Fort Bragg has served to enhance the relationship with defense and homeland security companies who support the installation’s mission and the United States. Six thousand soldiers transition out of the armed forces annually and a large number stay in the area taking jobs in local companies. Highly disciplined and highly skilled, these talented individuals strengthen the existing labor pool.
As a community, Fayetteville-Cumberland County strives to provide the space companies need. They have several military business parks close to Fort Bragg, the new home of the United States Army Forces Command and United States Army Reserve Command. Due to the decisions made as a part of BRAC 2005, the area is expected to grow by over 40,000. In fact, Fort Bragg will be second only to the Pentagon in the number of General officers assigned. Recent significant growth has been seen in tech-related companies as well as R&D in numerous other fields. Booz Allen Hamilton recently announced a 300-person office in Cumberland County to better serve the needs of our nation’s military. We expect many more defense companies to follow once FORSCOM headquarters is opened in September of 2011.
Howard County Economic Development Authority
Columbia, MD
www.hceda.org
Howard County is conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington and, it is strategically positioned for defense-related companies to grow and prosper. With defense installations such as the Army’s Fort Meade, Fort Detrick, the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Naval and Coast Guard installations and Andrews Air force Base all located close-by, companies who specialize in defense related businesses like technology, research and development, logistics, manufacturing, software, etc. can be located in a knowledge-based area with access to the military and to the top notch colleges and universities. As a matter of fact, many consider Howard County to be one of the most affluent and educated communities in the nation.
The Howard County Economic Development Authority has many successful defense contractors located in their area. They have a responsive state and local government. They are experts in assisting companies identify key opportunities for growth while facilitating partnerships and expediting processes.
Ouachita Partnership for Economic Development
Camden, AR
www.teamcamden.com
Camden, Arkansas has an outstanding aviation and aerospace cluster. Highland Industrial Park is the largest industrial park in a 5 state area. The complex has over 1,000 buildings, containing over 5,500,000 square feet of space for manufacturing and warehousing. With so many top companies operating facilities in the Highland Industrial Park, it is the region’s largest employment center with approximately 2,500 employees. It is the home of a growing defense community with major companies such as: Aerojet (GenCorp Inc), AMC, Inc. (Arkansas Machine Company), Armtec Defense Products (Esterline Defense Group), Arquest, Day & Zimmermann, General Dynamics Armament & Technical Products, Highland Machine Works, Lockheed Martin Missile & Fire Control, National Technical Systems, Raytheon Missile Systems, Rheinmetall Defence, and Spectra Technologies.
The Ouachita Partnership for Economic Development has done an outstanding job in creating a pro-business climate where defense companies can thrive and grow.
Infrastructure investments and improvements to the site include an extensive rail network, hundreds of reinforced concrete storage magazines, loading dock facilities and administration buildings.
Southern Arkansas University Tech, Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, Arkansas Fire Training Academy, and Arkansas Environmental Training Academy are located in the Highland Industrial Park. These educational facilities have provided the Park with a nucleus of trained labor. |
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