LULING, Texas — A rocket motor manufacturing company is preparing to build a big facility in a small Central Texas community.
A New Mexico-based company called X-Bow announced that it's building a $25 million rocket motor manufacturing campus in Luling.
"Design, manufacture, integrate, test, test on the ground solid rockets motors we are making. We also launch solid rocket motors but not out of Texas; we do that out of White Sands Missile Range out of New Mexico," said X-Bow Chief Technical Officer Max Vozoff.
It'll be built on the land that previously served as the Caldwell County Carter Memorial Airport. That airport shut down last year. It will bring hundreds of jobs to the area.
Executives say this new campus will allow them to compete as a reliable, innovative, economical source for solid rocket motors.
"The X-Bow team is grateful for the enthusiastic support and continued collaborative working relationship with City of Luling and Caldwell County officials as we continue to grow our team locally, construct facilities and add capabilities at our Luling campus," said Vozoff.
Vozoff said they sell the rocket motors and other defense technology to the government.
"Our customers are across the Army, Navy, Air Force, as well as some DOE customers," he said.
Construction on the new facility began last year. A hangar and multiple solid rocket motor test pads have already been completed. X-Bow plans to build about 15 buildings on the campus.
"We are really looking forward to developing, hiring and working with the community on this," said Vozoff.
It is hiring engineers, people with experience in aerospace and support staff.
"We're incredibly excited to welcome X-Bow Systems to our community. We know that X-Bow and its team will be a great addition to the City of Luling and we will continue to provide them with the support they need to build a great workforce and campus here," Caldwell County Judge Hoppy Haiden said. "X-Bow will create new and diverse opportunities and a more industrial workforce for our community. We look forward to seeing what the future holds in the aerospace industry for X-Bow Systems, Luling, Caldwell County and the whole State of Texas."
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