Improvements are underway as the U.S. Army walks out a 15 year-modernization plan. Locally, the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center has received millions of dollars in funding for the plant to continue to create tanks for the United States military and for contracted allied countries around the world.
Travis Adkins, the Senior Responsible Official at JSMC, provided a plant update.
“In terms of where we have been in the last 5 years and what we currently have going on it is approximately $500 million in investment that is either in process or has recently been completed since 2016 or 2017,” said Adkins. “Right now have about $360 million of that still in process that has not yet been completed. In terms of what we have planned going forward, the army is significantly investing through a 15-year modernization plan that they really worked hard to communicate with legislative and congressional partners.”
Adkins added JSMC hosted Congressman Jim Jordan (R) two months ago to do Congressional outreach to explain what the army is doing with the investments and why it is important.
According to the U.S. Army website, the plant manufactures combat vehicles and components including the M1 Abrams family of vehicles for the U.S. and allied nations.
Task Force Lima met Thursday afternoon to share the new growth at the facility. The Force was created to protect the JSMC after threats to shut down the plant due to national defense budget cuts.
In 2014, a Lima News article reported JSMC was ‘fighting to stay open’. Today, the plant continues to grow and prosper due to elected officials and community members uniting and advocating for the company.
“This group is definitely strong assets and supporters of this facility,” said Allen County Commissioner Cory Noonan. “I think it is important to continue to tell the story of the positive things that are happening here.”
Allen County Commissioner Beth Seibert weighed in.
“It is all aimed to keep communications and relationships open because General Dynamics (JSMC) is very important to our community,” said Seibert.
In the future, the task force plans to visit Washington D.C. to continue to advocate for JSMC. A date and official plans are to be determined.
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