In the news release, HADRIAN OPENS ADVANCED MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN ALABAMA TO SUPPORT COLUMBIA- AND VIRGINIA-CLASS SUBMARINE PRODUCTION, issued 20-Mar-2026 by Hadrian over PR Newswire, the release is being re-issued with an additional quote from Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan. The complete, updated release follows:
HADRIAN OPENS ADVANCED MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN ALABAMA TO SUPPORT COLUMBIA- AND VIRGINIA-CLASS SUBMARINE PRODUCTION
Secretary of the Navy Phelan, Rep. Aderholt, Rep. Rogers, Sen. Wicker, Sen. Britt, and Sen. Tuberville attend ribbon cutting of new $2.4 billion public-private facility in Cherokee, Alabama
CHEROKEE, Ala., March 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hadrian, the advanced manufacturing company, today opened a new facility in Cherokee, Alabama dedicated to the U.S. Navy's Columbia- and Virginia-class submarine programs. Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan, Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL-04), Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL-03), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside state and local leaders.
Known as Factory 4, the Cherokee facility is an advanced, highly automated manufacturing plant that will mass-produce components needed for submarine construction, including parts, assemblies, and finished products. These products have been identified by the industry as the largest drivers of submarine schedules, so increasing production allows submarines to also be produced faster. F4 will be one of three facilities producing systems for the maritime industrial base, with one of the facilities slated to be a Foundry of the Future, focused on castings and forging. The contract with the Navy is structured as a public-private partnership combining more than $1.5 billion in private capital with $900 million in government funding through Navy appropriations, for a total investment of more than $2.4 billion.
The opening in Muscle Shoals comes as the Navy moves to address longstanding capacity shortfalls in the submarine industrial base. Secretary Phelan, speaking at the 2026 WEST conference in February, described closing that gap as central to the Administration's Golden Fleet initiative, which includes $59 billion in cumulative shipbuilding investment since the President took office. "The government cannot deliver the Golden Fleet alone—fast enough or at scale," Phelan said. "Private-sector partnership is not optional. It is foundational." The opening also comes as the Administration approaches the one-year anniversary of the President's Executive Order on Maritime Dominance, which directed federal agencies to accelerate investment in the domestic shipbuilding and submarine industrial base.
"The Administration has set the strategy, Congress has cleared a path, the Navy has set the requirement, and Secretary Phelan has been unambiguous that private-sector partnership is foundational, not optional, to deter threats to national security. Industry has to answer that call with real execution, and the window to do it is now. We are proud to be part of the coalition building that capacity, and this factory is Hadrian's commitment to meeting this moment," said Chris Power, Founder and CEO of Hadrian.
The Cherokee facility transforms a 2.2 million-square-foot site in The Shoals region into an advanced production hub. Formerly the largest railcar manufacturing facility in the country before production was outsourced to Mexico, this first phase of this new facility is expected to reach full-rate production capacity within 24 months of contract award. Other parts of the facility are slated for construction over the coming months.
The facility is expected to create up to 1,000 high-quality jobs when fully operational. Labor availability has been one of the most acute constraints in the maritime industrial base; the sector has historically required years of specialized training before workers reach production-ready proficiency. Hadrian's manufacturing platform, Opus, is designed to close that gap. By automating the most technically demanding steps in the production process, the system is engineered so that technicians with limited prior manufacturing experience can reach full productivity within 30 days.
"This is a novel transaction with Hadrian— providing the Department of the Navy downside protection and upside participation," said Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan. "More than $1.5 billion in capital from Hadrian comes in first. The Department of the Navy follows with a commitment of $900 million to scale up the factory, grounded in demonstrated performance and ensuring we are investing in outcomes, not promises. Risk is shared. Performance is required. The Department of the Navy has a stake in the outcome. And American taxpayers will benefit from our success. That alignment matters. Because we are done with a system that rewards process over delivery. We are done with free money from the Department of the Navy."
Cherokee, Alabama is the first large-scale inland advanced manufacturing facility dedicated to the U.S. maritime industrial base. Hadrian has four facilities totaling approximately 2.85M square feet across California, Arizona, and Alabama, and is developing additional production sites covering the full suite of production, from components to complete products and assemblies.
Additional Quotes from Stakeholders:
"This investment marks a major step forward in strengthening our nation's defense industrial base while bringing high-quality jobs and economic growth to Northwest Alabama. I have been proud to work alongside our local, state, and federal leaders, as well as the Trump Administration, to help bring this opportunity to the Shoals, and I am excited to welcome Hadrian as they support the U.S. Navy with cutting-edge manufacturing capabilities critical to our national security. Hadrian is a leader in this space, and I am confident they will find great success here in Alabama.
I also want to thank AE Shoals for their continued commitment to our region and for providing the facility that makes this project possible. This effort demonstrates what can be achieved when industry, community leaders, and the federal government come together to support our warfighters and invest in America's future," said Representative Aderholt.
"As Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I've sought to rebuild the American Arsenal by investing in the very communities that built this country. Hadrian's factory opening today in Cherokee, Alabama, is a testament to the successful collaboration across our government and the private sector. Its operations will fortify our U.S. maritime industrial base greatly. Like the generations that came before us, we are revitalizing American manufacturing right here at home to defend our freedom and our way of life. The future of American defense is opening doors and creating opportunities across every sector of our economy," said Senator Wicker.
"This is truly a transformational moment for the Shoals region as we celebrate this Factory of the Future. As a result of this public-private partnership, over 1,000 jobs will be created, boosting the local economy, all while Alabama helps revitalize America's maritime industrial base. Alabama is once again proving that when we compete with the best, we will come out on top every time. I'm especially grateful to President Trump, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Navy Secretary John Phelan for their visionary leadership and dedication to meet our nation's maritime and defense industrial needs and increase our shipbuilding capacity. I'm deeply proud to be a part of this progress—American manufacturing is back, and stronger than ever," said Senator Britt.
"Since day one of President Trump's second term, he has been laser-focused on ensuring our military remains the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world," said Senator Tuberville. "He's also worked tirelessly to restore American dominance on all fronts and bring good-paying jobs back from overseas. The Shoals has long been home to world-class artists and musicians, and we're excited that the region is now going to play a key role in restoring America's maritime and manufacturing dominance. I'm grateful for President Trump, Secretary Hegseth, and Secretary Phelan for choosing Muscle Shoals for this 2.2-million-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility. Not only will it generate thousands of jobs for Alabamians, but it will produce the tools our Navy needs to keep America safe. Make no mistake, our adversaries are knocking on our door. It's more important than ever that our armed forces are equipped with the best weapons we can supply. Alabama is a leader when it comes to national defense, and this partnership with Hadrian is crucial for ensuring our Navy remains the most elite in the world. Alabama is also home to many patriotic and talented Americans who are always up for any challenge. I look forward to seeing our great state play a leading role in President Trump's mission of 'Peace Through Strength'."
About Hadrian
Hadrian is a next-generation manufacturing company transforming the U.S. industrial base by rapidly adding domestic manufacturing capacity through its highly automated factories. By integrating process engineering, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics, Hadrian strengthens American manufacturing capabilities and enables U.S. workers to compete globally.
Hadrian's mission is to enable space and defense manufacturers to produce domestically at scale, supporting production at every level, from individual components to full-scale programs. The company currently operates three advanced manufacturing facilities totaling approximately 600,000 square feet, including two sites in Torrance, California, and a newly launched facility in Arizona. Hadrian is actively developing additional production sites across the United States. More information at https://www.hadrian.co/.
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