Astor Defence, a British Manufacturer of Military Packaging, Is Opening Plant in Palm Coast with 30 Jobs | FlaglerLive

September 10, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 15 Comments

Astor Defence, an England-based military contractor that makes ammunition containers, bomb pallets, mortar packs and other military packaging, will open a manufacturing facility at 15 Hargrove Grade in Palm Coast, where it is expected to be operational by January. It’ll be the company’s first American site.

Palm Coast government’s Economic Development Office announced the company’s decision this morning, following about just two weeks of coordination with the city as the company was in a rush to find a location. The 18,000-square-foot plant will employ 30 people, most of them expected to be hired locally. City officials say the average manufacturing salary in this region is $66,000 a year.“Maybe 30 jobs doesn’t sound that exciting but this is a march, you’ve got to keep on picking up these wins,” Palm Coast Chief of Staff Jason DeLorenzo said. “Thirty more people with a significant salary is important to us and should be important to everyone.”

The company will not be getting any tax benefits or incentives. “What they did receive from the city and Craig in particular,” DeLorenzo said, referring to Craig McKinney, Palm Coast’s economic development manager, “was working through the permitting process, with the building department and occupational licensing and zoning, and the availability and confirming with utilities on required volume that they’re going to need.”

Not water–the plant will use relatively little water–but natural gas. The company worked with TECO Energy, working with TECO, to extend provide 1,300 feet of pipes to the manufacturing facility. No live ammunition, no live rounds of any sort, will be at the facility, nor will explosive material.

Astor Defence is leasing the Hargrove Grade building owned by Chuck Warren. It will not be adding to the property taxes already paid through that property (over $11,000 a year, $2,600 of it to Palm Coast). But manufacturing jobs are among the highest-paid in the local job base. The company is also drawing six of the top members of its leadership away from England, to resettle in Palm Coast, according to DeLorenzo.“Astor Defence choosing Palm Coast for its first U.S. facility is a testament to our city’s business-friendly environment,” Pal Coast Mayor David Alfin said. “This development not only strengthens our local economy by creating new, high-paying jobs but also highlights Palm Coast as an emerging hub for advanced manufacturing. We are proud to welcome Astor Defense USA to our community and look forward to the positive impact they will bring.”

The city will be working with the company and Daytona State College to develop what necessary skilled workforce Astor Defence will need, since a majority of employees will be local hires.

In January, Army Technology, the trade publication, referring to Astor Defence as “a company that safeguards the world’s military assets,” reported that it had “unveiled plans to expand on the South Coast of England to bolster British engineering and amplify its global presence.” The expansion had drawn the attention of the U.S. military, Army Technology reported, whose representatives were to visit the plant last March “for a first article acceptance test. Approval is anticipated to pave the way for US Government contracts, further solidifying Astor’s global standing.”

The company got two 2024 Army Technology Excellence Awards for Investments and Business Expansion and was Aerospace and Defense Review’s “Military Packaging Company of the Year in Europe 2024.”Astor Defence is widely recognized as a leader in the military packaging sector, according to a release issued by the city today. It is currently the sole-source supplier of metal ammunition containers for the British Army and provides critical services for armed forces across the NATO alliance, including France, Germany, and Italy. This longstanding partnership with key global defense forces shows Astor Defence’s commitment to excellence and quality, ensuring that its clients receive the most reliable and innovative packaging solutions available.

McKinney said the company conducted a real estate search in Florida before settling on Palm Coast, where the connections to I-95 and the nearby port of Jacksonville were among factors that sealed the decision. “Their selection of Palm Coast for their first U.S. manufacturing facility perfectly aligns with the City’s strategic vision for our targeted industries and adds to our manufacturing base,” he was quoted as saying in the release. “We look forward to welcoming a company that is an exemplar of excellence and to helping them grow.”Astor Defense USA will produce a wide range of military packaging solutions, improving supply chain operations and meeting the evolving needs of its U.S. clients. The facility will streamline operations and provide a one-stop solution for defense contractors, enhancing efficiency and reducing logistical challenges. It isn’t clear what sort of traffic–truck traffic in particular–the plant will generate.

Florida is the fourth-largest beneficiary among states of U.S. Department of Defense contracts, netting just over $30 billion in 2022, $1.6 billion of it to Northrop Grumman’s Florida operation, and $426 million to General Dynamics, two of the companies developing partnerships with Astor Defense. The company has also been collaborating closely with the U.S. Army to align with military requirements, ensuring compliance with U.S. government standards through rigorous on-site testing.

“We are extremely excited about this latest chapter in our expansion plans,” Henry Turnbull, the company’s managing director, was quoted as saying in the release. “Florida is highly supportive of the defense industry, and many of our existing clients are based here, so it is an obvious choice of location. Everybody in Palm Coast has been very welcoming and friendly—from the city government to our new landlord and the utility companies. They have all been so accommodating and helpful. It seems like a great place for us to be based.”