AE Shoals Paves the Way for Nationwide Investment in American Military Might

Expansion of advanced manufacturing campus in Alabama will serve as the model for a multi-regional, 21st century “Arsenal of Democracy”

CHEROKEE, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AE Shoals today announced it has completed the first phase of a multi-regional strategy for the development of a series of defense industrial campuses. Advanced manufacturing company Hadrian recently announced it has leased a 46-acre, 2.2 million-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, located at the AE Shoals Barton campus in Cherokee, Alabama, where it will produce critical components for the U.S. Navy’s Columbia- and Virginia-class submarine programs. Further development of the site is planned in the coming months, with AE Shoals actively engaging with national security tenants about establishing operations at the 638-acre center.

For its first real estate project, AE Shoals acquired the Cherokee property in January 2024. The Barton campus offers significant strategic advantages for defense manufacturers, including direct access to the Tennessee River, connectivity to Norfolk Southern rail lines, and proximity to U.S. Highway 72. Additionally, the Northwestern Alabama tri-state region is supported by a workforce of more than 1 million skilled personnel, helping to address the persistent labor shortages that have challenged the defense manufacturing sector.

“When we acquired the Cherokee/Barton land and facility in 2024, our vision was to address a critical national security imperative: rebuilding the military industrial base of the United States," said Chris Emerson, CEO of AE Shoals. "With Hadrian as the anchor tenant at Barton, we are off to a fast start, bringing skilled manufacturing jobs to Northwest Alabama and the surrounding region. This public-private partnership is a highly replicable model, and we are excited to continue developing state-of-the-art capacity and facilities for industrial suppliers, manufacturers, and technology innovators in other key locations across the United States.”

AE Shoals is led by a team of seasoned professionals with decades of collective experience in the military industrial base and procurement, including:

• Chris Emerson – A senior executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience leading aerospace and defense companies; with past successes relocating and developing major production facilities in Alabama and Mississippi.
• Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Will Swenson – United States Army veteran and Medal of Honor Recipient
• Rear Admiral (Ret.) Leonard ‘Butch’ Dollaga – Former Chief of Legislative Affairs for the United States Navy
• John Ofenloch – A senior executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience across telecommunications, technology, and integrated manufacturing
• Captain (Ret.) Ben Van Buskirk – Retired Navy Captain and accomplished aviator with over 2,500 flight hours across nine military and civil aircraft
• Nick Willis – A facilities operator with more than 25 years of experience in industrial manufacturing and facility maintenance, bringing deep expertise in optimizing operations and reducing costs

“We have taken a critical step toward creating an ‘Arsenal of Democracy’ that will prepare the United States to address the new range of security challenges and threats we face in the 21st century,” added Emerson. “We look forward to expanding our partnerships with federal, state, and local governments as we support the companies that will ensure the United States can out-innovate, out-produce, and out-compete any adversary.”

About AE Shoals

AE Shoals is a privately held real estate company focused on developing next-generation defense industrial campuses across the United States. Its purpose-built campuses support regional manufacturing needs by providing the infrastructure, workforce access, and industrial capacity required to strengthen U.S. military manufacturing competitiveness for the 21st century. Learn more at www.aeshoals.com.