On September 29, 2026, Avio USA broke ground on a $500 million solid rocket motor manufacturing facility in Hurt, Virginia, marking the start of construction on the Italian aerospace company’s first U.S. manufacturing plant.
The approximately 900,000-square-foot facility is planned at the Southern Virginia Multimodal Park in Pittsylvania County. Avio USA expects the project to create more than 1,500 jobs as it establishes domestic production capacity for solid rocket motors serving the U.S. defense and aerospace markets.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger joined Avio USA executives for the groundbreaking on September 29, 2026. The project represents a major expansion of Avio’s U.S. manufacturing presence following the company’s decision earlier this year to locate the facility in Hurt.
Construction begins on Avio USA manufacturing facility
The new plant will manufacture solid rocket motors for defense, tactical propulsion, missile systems and commercial space applications.
Avio USA expects the facility to produce thousands of solid rocket motors annually once operational. The company is establishing the plant as an independent U.S. manufacturing operation that can supply multiple customers and defense programs.
Construction is being led by HITT Contracting, which is serving as the general contractor for the project.
Avio expects construction to reach completion by late 2028, with production scheduled to begin in early 2029.
The facility will expand U.S. manufacturing capacity for solid rocket motors while giving Avio a domestic production base from which to serve American defense customers.
Plant to support missile and munitions production
The Hurt facility is designed to support solid rocket motor requirements across the U.S. defense industry.
Avio USA said the plant will support programs involving major defense contractors including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. Both companies have described the project as an additional source of solid rocket motor capacity within the U.S. defense supply chain.
Lockheed Martin said it is working with Avio USA to expand solid rocket motor production capacity. Raytheon, an RTX business, similarly said additional sourcing options can help expand and diversify the supply base for critical defense technologies.
The project therefore extends beyond Avio’s own manufacturing footprint. Its planned production capacity will become part of a broader network supplying propulsion components for U.S. defense programs.
Avio establishes first U.S. manufacturing operation
Avio USA is a subsidiary of Avio S.p.A., the Rome-based aerospace company that develops rocket and space propulsion systems.
The company established Avio USA as part of its strategy to expand into the U.S. market. Avio said the Virginia investment will combine its existing propulsion expertise with a U.S.-based workforce and manufacturing operation.
The company also operates under a DCSA Special Security Agreement, supporting its ability to work within the U.S. defense sector.
The new plant will give Avio a permanent industrial presence in the United States rather than relying solely on overseas manufacturing for its U.S. market.
Virginia project follows $500M investment announcement
Virginia announced Avio’s selection of Pittsylvania County in February 2026.
At that time, the Commonwealth said Avio planned to invest approximately $500 million in an 860,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and create more than 1,000 jobs. The latest groundbreaking announcement increased the publicly stated facility size to approximately 900,000 square feet and projected more than 1,500 jobs.
The project received support from state and local economic-development organizations, including the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Pittsylvania County, the City of Danville and the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance.
Avio also became eligible for a potential incentive package of up to $97.7 million based on the planned investment and employment commitments, subject to the applicable state approvals.
The Southern Virginia Multimodal Park provided the project with an established industrial site for the new manufacturing operation.
With construction now underway, the next major milestone will be the buildout of the manufacturing facility ahead of the targeted late-2028 completion and early-2029 production start.
Additionally; Avio USA’s groundbreaking comes as other major manufacturers expand their U.S. production footprints. In North Carolina, Caterpillar plans a $1 billion manufacturing facility in Sanford to increase production of compact track loaders and telehandlers. The two projects serve different industries, but both involve large-scale investments in advanced manufacturing capacity and new technical jobs in the region.
Factsheet: Avio USA solid rocket motor manufacturing facility in Virginia
- Location: Southern Virginia Multimodal Park, Hurt, Pittsylvania County, Virginia
- Investment: Approximately $500 million
- Facility size: Approximately 900,000 square feet
- Developer/Owner: Avio USA Inc.
- Parent company: Avio S.p.A.
- Products: Solid rocket motors
- Markets: Defense, tactical propulsion, missile systems and commercial space
- Expected jobs: More than 1,500
- General contractor: HITT Contracting
- Construction start: September 29, 2026
- Expected completion: Late 2028
- Expected production start: Early 2029
- Latest milestone: Groundbreaking on September 29, 2026
Leave a Reply