Local and state officials broke ground Friday on a Norwegian factory that should be producing cruise missiles in James City County by 2028.
Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace President Eirik Lie said the facility will be hiring 180 people to produce cruise missiles for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force. The company said the jobs would offer good pay and benefits. Lie said plans are for the factory to be be fully operational by 2028.
Construction of the $100 million, 150,000 square-foot factory should begin by the second quarter of this year, the company said. The factory will be located at the 328-acre Lovett 64 Commerce Center in Toano.
“One of the reasons that we chose this location was the proximity to the U.S. Navy and all of the military communities and veterans” that could be potential employees, said Heather Armentrout, the company’s U.S. president and general manager.
Finding skilled workers has become a challenge for American industry, and Armentrout said Kongsberg is consi…