Bridgeton

Leonardo DRS, Inc. announced today that it will build a new engineering development and light manufacturing facility and offices in Bridgeton, Missouri, to accommodate its growing Land Systems line of business. The new facility is expected to be ready by early 2020.

The company will invest in a new, best-in-class engineering, research and development and laboratory space to serve as the focal point for the majority of the business unit’s development and platform systems integration activities.  The business is a leading integrator of a wide range of systems for U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps ground platforms, including reconnaissance and surveillance, mission support, and vehicle survivability and lethality. The line of business also maintains an 85-acre heavy manufacturing campus in West Plains, Missouri.

Additionally, the new St. Louis area facility will be home to the business unit headquarters, housing leadership, management and a centralized back office functionality.

“Our company has been growing and together with the expanding mission-critical needs of our customers, we now require a more modern and efficient facility,” said Aaron Hankins, vice president and general manager of the Leonardo DRS Land Systems line of business. “The St. Louis area has been our long-time home, and we look forward to being a part of this community for years to come,” Hankins said.

The current facility is more than 50 years old and no longer meets company requirements for efficient manufacturing and day-to-day operations.  The future site in Bridgeton gives the business the appropriate space to build a modern facility, while providing the flexibility to expand with minimal impacts to the current workforce.

“This region and Leonardo DRS will benefit as the business continues to be anchored in the greater St. Louis area as a result of this new investment,” Hankins said.

Additionally, Leonardo DRS is a believer in supporting education in the community and is working with the Pattonville School District by executing a formal agreement to further Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives in an extended learning opportunity (ELO) program for high school students. The partnership also creates additional learning opportunities for elementary students and faculty in the district, as well as mentoring and job shadowing opportunities for high school students.

“This is an important move and will permit our operations to advance and achieve success for our customer, the region and our company for many years to come,” Hankins said.  

Leonardo DRS is a prime contractor, leading technology innovator and supplier of integrated products, services and support to military forces, intelligence agencies and defense contractors worldwide. Its Land Systems business unit is recognized leader in the design and integration of complex technologies into new and legacy systems and platforms for global military and commercial customers.