Stark Aerospace adding nearly 100 jobs in Columbus to support new U.S. Navy contract

• The company is investing over $21 million to expand their operations in Mississippi.

The Mississippi Development Authority announced Monday that Stark Aerospace is expanding in Lowndes County to support a new contract with the U.S. Navy.

As previously reported, the global aerospace and defense company out of Columbus was recently awarded a $61,454,230.00 contract by the U.S. Navy for missile canister production in support of FY24-29 MK 41 Vertical Launch System. The contract, awarded on October 21st through the Naval Sea Systems Command, includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $312,787,824.

Stark Aerospace President and CEO David Alabed said in a statement that his company is honored and excited to have been selected for this important project.

“This contract not only reflects our team’s hard work and dedication but also underscores our capability to deliver high-quality products that meet the rigorous standards of our U.S. Military and the Warfighters,” Alabed said. “We look forward to working closely with the U.S. Navy and contributing to the success of this vital initiative.”

To fulfill the contract, Stark Aerospace is investing over $21 million to expand their operations in Mississippi while creating at least 96 new jobs. Construction is slated to be complete within the next year with new jobs being filled immediately.

Governor Tate Reeves celebrated the announcement, saying that the jobs being created in the state “speaks volumes about the quality of the workforce found in Mississippi, which manufactures some of the most technologically sophisticated defense systems in the world.”

“Stark Aerospace’s latest contract with the U.S. Navy is yet another major investment in our defense sector and another impressive economic development success for Lowndes County,” Reeves said in a statement. “I congratulate the Stark Aerospace team on this remarkable win and look forward to the company’s ongoing success in Columbus.”

MDA noted that the agency is providing assistance for infrastructure improvements as well as through the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive, or MFLEX, program.