Avio USA breaks ground on Virginia rocket motor facility

Avio USA has broken ground on a new 900,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Hurt, Virginia, located within the Southern Virginia Multimodal Park. The project represents an investment of more than $600 million and is expected to create approximately 1,500 jobs.

The facility will focus on the development and production of solid rocket motors, aiming to bolster domestic capacity for Pentagon munitions and missile production. Avio USA, a subsidiary of the Rome-based Avio S.p.A., intends to serve as an independent supplier for major defense primes, including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

Construction is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028, with weapon production expected to commence in early 2029. The site, a former industrial mill, is part of a significant economic development effort for Southside Virginia.