Lockheed Martin will invest more than $150 million in its Pike County production facility over the next five years under a new incentive agreement with the state of Alabama, a move expected to create additional full-time positions and strengthen the Lockheed Martin Pike County workforce pipeline.
The agreement supports the company’s operations in Pike County, where Lockheed Martin manufactures hardware for several major U.S. missile and weapons systems. The expansion reflects rising demand for munitions production and reinforces the company’s long-term presence in southeast Alabama.
“Lockheed Martin has been a longtime pillar of Alabama’s aerospace industry, and we are thrilled to see the company’s continued investment in our state,” said Governor Kay Ivey. “This latest expansion is a testament to the hard work of the highly skilled workforce in Pike County, and the innovative, Alabama-made products that keep turning heads on the global stage.”
Lockheed Martin’s Pike County operations are located on approximately 3,800 acres in northern Pike County and employ more than 800 workers. Since 2019, the facility has added more than 300 full-time positions.
The site produces and supports components for several key defense systems, including the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) weapon system, the Javelin missile, the HELLFIRE missile, the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), and the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM).
Company officials credited the expansion to the performance of the local workforce and long-standing partnerships across Alabama.
“This continued investment in Pike County Operations is a credit to the long history of partnership across every level of government within the state of Alabama, and more importantly, the phenomenal performance of the Alabama workforce that produces a quality product for our customers that perform when it matters most,” said Jen McManus, vice president, site production operations at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.
State leaders say the announcement underscores the continued growth of Alabama’s aerospace and defense sector.
“Alabama’s aerospace industry continues its impressive growth trajectory, thanks to companies like Lockheed Martin that have set a standard of excellence in manufacturing products that are in high demand in markets around the world,” said Ellen McNair, secretary of commerce. “The success shows that the company’s strategic vision, an expert workforce and supportive community partnerships are a winning combination.”
Workforce development has also played a role in supporting the facility’s growth. Alabama Industrial Development Training has worked with Lockheed Martin’s Pike County operations for more than 30 years and opened a $2 million, 7,000-square-foot Advanced Training Center on its campus in 2017 to provide hands-on training solutions for the growing workforce.
In 2019, Lockheed Martin also launched a program designed to train local high school students for career opportunities through hands-on classroom instruction. The program is now active in three local school systems, helping build a pipeline into STEM careers.
Lockheed Martin’s Pike County facility first opened in 1994 and has grown into a major contributor to southeast Alabama’s economy while supporting the production of advanced defense technologies used by the U.S. military.
