STONE COUNTY, Mich. (WLOX) – A defense technology company is expanding its footprint in Stone County, impacting nearby businesses in the process.
The Mississippi Solid Rocket Complex is located in McHenry and Anduril Industries produces solid rocket motors (SRMs).
The company recently announced a $14.3 million grant from the Department of Defense to expand its facilities, on top of previous $75 million in private capital investment.
Also read: Anduril gets $14 million from Department of Defense to expand production in Stone County
“We call this the Mississippi Miracle because they were encouraged to come to Stone County and see this place, and they took one look at it and said, ‘This is where we belong. That’s where we have to go.” Within just a few weeks, we closed the deal, and about five years later, in 2020, we opened the business and are not only doing well; It’s expanding,” Leila Essary said.
Essary is executive director of the Stone County Economic Development Partnership, the organization that welcomed Anduril to establish an industrial base in McHenry.
Investing in expansion: Anduril invests $75 million to expand rocket motor production in Stone County
Local businesses in the area say the millions of dollars spent on Anduril’s expansion project are showing up in the cash register.
“Our frequent customers are not only Anduril workers, but also contractors working on projects in the field,” Jimmy Ragsdale said. “For us as a small business, it’s great to have something so big going on nearby and everyone coming in for the different supplies they need for all the projects they have going on.”
McDaniel’s General Merchandise has been in business since 1937. Ragsdale and Patti Saia are third and fourth generation owners, meaning dozens of their customers are familiar faces.
“Sometimes people we’ve known all our lives come in and say, ‘Hey, we’re working with Adranos here, or we’re working with Anduril here.’ And that’s very exciting. We’re giving that same investment back to the community,” Saia explained.
The Stone County Economic Development Partnership projects Anduril’s expansion will create more than 60 high-skilled jobs by this year.
“I think the population in this area has almost doubled in the last 10 years, which is great for local businesses like us and that supports our customer base, so they We are very grateful to everyone,” Ragsdale added.
Rocket motors made at the McHenry factory are used in several different large-scale programs, including the U.S. Navy’s Missile-6 program to develop carrier-based missiles.
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