BURLINGTON, Vt. – Officials from General Dynamics Armament Systems and Best Foam Fabricators broke ground today on a new 16,000 sq. ft. facility in McHenry, Miss., that will become the manufacturing center for Best Foam's aerospace and defense operation, providing specialty packaging in support of General Dynamics Hydra-70 rocket program. The building is expected to be completed by August 1.
General Dynamics currently leases 465 acres of land and 35,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space in Stone County. The primary activity of the operation is production and assembly of components in support of the Hydra-70 rocket program.
In addition to specialty packaging material for the rocket program, Best Foam will also produce highly specialized foam insulation which is used to protect aircraft fuel cells and radar domes as part of its growing aerospace business. Together, General Dynamics and Best Foam plan to employ between 40 and 45 workers in Stone County.
“Best Foam is an industry leader in high-quality foam products and has been our partner on the Hydra-70 rocket program since we won our first production contract in 1995,” said Linda Hudson, president of General Dynamics Armament Systems. “They are an award-winning company and are highly respected in the aerospace industry. We are delighted to have them here as part of our team.”
“When we decided to move and expand our aerospace and defense operation, this location represented the best fit for us. We are very pleased to be here in Stone County, Mississippi,” said Keith Hasty, president of Best Foam Fabricators.
The Hydra-70 rocket is the most widely used helicopter weapon system in the world today. It is fired from many rotary and fixed-wing platforms, including the U.S. Army Apache and Marine Corps Cobra helicopters, the Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon and the combat aircraft of 15 nations worldwide. The Hydra-70 meets a variety of special mission requirements and can defeat a broad range of enemy threats. It is a combat-ready system that has proved itself versatile, effective and affordable and has been selected for integration on many new helicopter programs around the world.
General Dynamics Armament Systems provides a broad range of armament solutions for the full range of military applications. The company designs, develops and produces complete armament systems for warfighters, fixed and rotary wing aircraft, land vehicles and sea-based platforms. In addition, Armament Systems provides system management for several key DoD programs, including the Hydra-70 2.75 inch rocket system. More information about Armament Systems can be found on the World Wide Web at www.gdarm.com.
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 52,000 people worldwide and had 2001 revenues of $12 billion. The company has leading market positions in land and amphibious combat systems, mission-critical information systems and technologies, shipbuilding and marine systems, and business aviation. More information about the company can be found on the World Wide Web at www.generaldynamics.com.
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