Lockheed Martin to invest $142M, hire 300+ new workers in south Arkansas expansion

Lockheed Martin’s existing Ground Vehicle Assembly Building in Camden, Arkansas, is being updated for increased production of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), M-270 launchers and Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles. Previously the facility was dedicated to HIMARS production only. Image provided by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
Lockheed Martin’s existing Ground Vehicle Assembly Building in Camden, Arkansas, is being updated for increased production of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), M-270 launchers and Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles. Previously the facility was dedicated to HIMARS production only. Image provided by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

Lockheed Martin is expanding its operations in Camden as part of a $142 million investment that will create more than 300 jobs, Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Lockheed officials said on Monday.

During the announcement, which came at the Paris Air Show in France, Hutchinson called Lockheed Martin a "leading technology firm."

“Lockheed’s investment illustrates the fact that Arkansas continues to be a global player in the aero-defense industry,” he said in a statement.

The company plans to hire 326 new employees over the next few years, according to a news release from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

Lockheed Martin’s expansion will support new construction and improvements at the company's existing Camden facilities, the release states. The facility produces the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or MIMARS, and handles the final assembly for Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) and Precision Fires products for the U.S. and its allies.

“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’s executive director. “And we’re thankful for their partnership in the Golden Triangle.”

Check back for updates and read Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

FILE — A Lockheed Martin facility in Camden is shown in this Democrat-Gazette file photo.
FILE — A Lockheed Martin facility in Camden is shown in this Democrat-Gazette file photo.

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