INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- A ribbon cutting ceremony to recognize approval of Lake City's application to the Missouri Certified Sites program took place at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant here, December 9.
The ribbon cutting ceremony was hosted by Orbital ATK, the Lake City prime contractor, in partnership with the U.S. Army's Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, and the Armament Retooling and Manufacturing Support Program.
The ARMS program and Orbital ATK began the state certification process in 2014 with the goal of having the sites achieve certification as a Missouri Certified Site.
"Recent certification by the Missouri Department of Economic Development as an approved Missouri Certified Site location will provide the lake city ARMS program with another tool in the ARMS program marketing tool bag", said Kent Holiday, Vice President &General Manager for the small caliber systems division of Orbital ATK, Inc. "As these sites are developed, jobs will be created resulting in a direct economic benefit to the communities around us," Holiday concluded.
Deborah Hookway, ARMS Project Officer for the U.S. Army, stated, "In 2013, the ARMS program began an initiative to receive site certification at all Government Owned Contractor Operated facilities. Certification at Lake City Army Ammunition Plant is the third site to be certified. Two additional sites in Iowa are in the final stages of receiving certification. Our goal is to achieve certification at all active ARMS program locations as we pursue strategic commercialization at our 6 separate participating Army Ammunition plants across the nation."
"Under the ARMS program, the government will save tax payer money by utilizing areas of GOCO facilities that are underutilized. The commercial tenants reduce the cost of operations, maintain critical skills, create local employment and retain the defense readiness of the Army Ammunition Plant's active mission", commented Lt. Col. Shane Upton, LCAAP Commander.
The ARMS program is authorized by congressional legislation, to encourage the commercial use of idle/ currently non-strategic properties owned by the US Army with Contractor Operators (GOCO). The initiative is particularly beneficial when government production volumes are not at peak levels and would have an adverse impact on the local communities.
"With approval of our sites for the Missouri Certified Sites program we expect to entertain private investment by third party users who see our secure facilities as an advantage to private business", said Hookway.
Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, managed by the Joint Munitions Command, conducts contract oversight and provides quality small-caliber munitions to the Warfighter and operates the North Atlantic Treaty Organization test center.
JMC produces small-, medium- and large-caliber ammunition items for the Department of Defense. JMC is the logistics integrator for life-cycle management of ammunition and provides a global presence of technical support to U.S. combat units wherever they are stationed or deployed. JMC's logistics operation is unique to the Department of Defense and its industrial base is an important asset in providing ammunition for the Warfighter.
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