Aerojet Rocketdyne held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday for a new manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Alabama.
The 136,000-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing Facility is scheduled to start operations in late 2019 and will support the production of various aerospace platforms as well as additive manufacturing work, Aerojet Rocketdyne said Tuesday.
The company will also conduct advanced rocket propulsion research and development activities at the new facility.
Aerojet Rocketdyne selected Huntsville as the new headquarters location of its defense business unit and its defense advanced programs group named Rocket Shop, as part of efforts to expand company presence in the region.
The rocket manufacturer also leased a 122,000-square-foot office space in Cummings Research Park, Huntsville to house new employees and personnel that will relocate from other company locations.
The efforts are part of the Competitive Improvement Program that Aerojet Rocketdyne launched in 2015 to achieve $230 million in annual savings when complete.