June 17, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For Media Inquiries:
Brandi Hinkle – Director of Communications
Arkansas Economic Development Commission
501-519-7382 mobile or bhinkle@arkansasedc.com
Brittny Sherlock – Communications
Lockheed Martin
407-284-9248 or brittny.sherlock@lmco.com
Lockheed Martin announces $142M investment, 326 new jobs
with expansion at Camden, Ark. plant
Governor Asa Hutchinson and officials with Lockheed Martin announced today at the Paris Air Show that
the company is expanding its center of excellence in Camden, Arkansas, that produces the High Mobility
Artillery Rocket System (MIMARS) and performs final assembly for Integrated Air and Missile Defense
(IAMD) and Precision Fires products for U.S. and allied military services.
“Lockheed Martin is a leading technology firm with facilities and clients around the world,” said
Hutchinson. “Lockheed’s investment illustrates the fact that Arkansas continues to be a global player in the aero-defense industry.”
The expansion will support new construction and improve existing facilities for products like Terminal
High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), Army Tactical Missile System (ATacMS), Patriot Advanced
Capability-3 (PAC-3) and others, plus new machinery and equipment. Previously the facility was
dedicated to High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) production only.
The company plans to invest $142 million and hire 326 new employees over the next few years. There
are approximately 700 employees currently in Camden.
“Our facility in Camden is a highly efficient, high quality center of excellence that contributes
components and performs final assembly for products that are important to the defense of the United
States and a growing number of allied nations,” said Frank St. John, executive vice president of Lockheed
Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “The facility has a long record of precision manufacturing and on-time
deliveries, which is the reason we continue to invest in and expand our Camden Operations. This
expansion will help ensure the availability, affordability and quality of systems we build for our
customers around the world.”
The private aerospace and defense industry employs about 10,000 Arkansans and was the state’s largest
export in 2018, totaling $1.8 billion. The state is home to nearly 180 companies in the industry, which is
part of why the governor, industry partners and Arkansas Economic Development Commission
participate in the annual trade shows in Paris and London, said Mike Preston, currently AEDC executive
director and Secretary of Commerce effective July 1.
“The high-paying jobs Lockheed Martin provides in the Camden area improve the quality of life for our
communities and the state as a whole,” said James Lee Silliman, Ouachita Partnership for Economic
Development executive director, “and we’re thankful for their partnership in the Golden Triangle.”
Calhoun County Judge Floyd Nutt said, “I can’t say enough good things about the contributions
Lockheed Martin makes in aerospace and missile defense around the world along with our local
economy. We’re proud to continue our longstanding relationship.”
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About Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC)
The Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) seeks to create economic opportunity by
attracting higher-paying jobs, expanding and diversifying local economies in the state, increasing
incomes and investment, and generating positive growth throughout The Natural State. Arkansas is a
pro-business environment operating leaner, faster and more focused through a streamlined state
government designed to act on corporate interests quickly and decisively. For more information, visit
www.ArkansasEDC.com.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company
that employs approximately 105,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research,
design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems,
products and services. For more information, visit www.LockheedMartin.com.