Advanced Munitions International (AMI), an ammunition manufacturing corporation, announced today it will invest $553 million in a global headquarters and manufacturing facility in Alcoa, Tenn.
The 235-acre campus will also include distribution and R&D operations and create 605 new jobs in East Tennessee.
"When we looked nationally for a site to build this facility, Tennessee stood out as a place with leaders that understand and support strong business growth," Jim Antich, AMI founder and executive chairman, said in a statement today. "Having a resource like ORNL nearby also attracted us to Tennessee and Blount County."
Known for its HPR Ammunition brand, which employs proprietary technology, the company supplies ammunition to the military, law enforcement and civilian markets. The Alcoa plant will hire primarily chemists and engineers with backgrounds in metallurgy, engineering, physics and energetics technology.
The company expects to break ground this spring and open in late 2018.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam called AMI "an industry leader creating jobs that require a highly skilled workforce" Haslam said the investment is part of his administration's "goal of becoming the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high-quality jobs."
AMI Ammunition is the industry's leading innovator in center-fire ammunition for military, law enforcement and civilian use. The company makes hand-load performance ammunition at competitive prices, using the highest standards for performance and safety. AMI is a U.S. company that embraces its American heritage that uses only the finest U.S. made components.