Were Maryland and Montgomery County even courting global aerospace firm Avio S.p.A in its search for a site to build a $500 million solid rocket motor manufacturing facility? We may never know. But we do know that the Italian firm has selected Virginia as the winner for the high-tech factory. The 860,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing facility will produce solid rocket motors for defense tactical and strategic propulsion, as well as commercial space propulsion sectors.
“I want to thank Avio USA for choosing Virginia,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. “Today’s announcement marks another exciting milestone for our aerospace and defense industry. Avio USA’s decision to build a new rocket motor manufacturing facility here is both an important investment in America’s national security infrastructure and underscores Avio USA’s confidence in Virginia.”
“Avio looks forward to establishing on U.S. soil a solid rocket motor production facility to contribute in strengthening the U.S. industrial base by providing decades of experience in engineering and manufacturing,” Avio S.p.A. CEO Giulio Ranzo said. “In particular, we are thankful for the Commonwealth and local governments’ warm welcome for our project and count on their future support for effective execution.”
Does Maryland and its counties extend a warm welcome to aerospace firms? Not in this century. The County Council tried to run the last remaining big aerospace firm - Lockheed Martin - out of the county not once, but twice, with radical legislation that made us look like idiots after the bills received national news coverage. "We don't need the Lockheed headquarters," former Councilmember Nancy Floreen declared in the summer of 2010.
It's no surprise that the County has failed to attract a single major new corporate headquarters in over 25 years. Or that, thanks to the highest personal and corporate tax and fee burden in the Mid-Atlantic region, Montgomery County and Maryland have effectively been in a recession for much of this century. MoCo's crime rate has risen faster and higher than its business and job growth rates as a result. Once the economic engine of the region, Montgomery County is now at or near the bottom across every major economic benchmark tracked by the federal government. Heckuva job, Brownie!
14 comments:
Too dangerous, we don't want that around here anyway. And probably a toxic nightmare!
Sour Grapes!
No problem! Any lost revenue we can just get back in taxes! Not to worry.
So, what is the average wage offered by this factory, compared to the average wage/salary of Montgomery County residents, who have the highest rate of college education in the country? Where would you put this factory in our county which you claim has no more room for anything?
One of the big investments in our county that appears to have been overlooked is from AstraZeneca, announced last month:
Global biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced a $2 billion investment in the state of Maryland, including the expansion of its operations in Montgomery County, MD.
This includes a significant expansion of its flagship biologics manufacturing facility in Frederick and construction of a new state-of-the-art facility in Gaithersburg for the development and clinical supply of innovative molecules to be used in clinical trials. The investment will support 2,600 jobs across the two sites in the state including the retention of local roles, construction activity, and the creation of 300 highly skilled jobs.
In parallel, AstraZeneca will build a new clinical manufacturing facility to expand its footprint in Gaithersburg. The facility, which will be fully operational by 2029, will create an additional 100 jobs, retain 400 roles and support a further 1,000 construction-related jobs.
https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2025/astrazeneca-plans-dollar2-billion-manufacturing-investment-in-maryland-supporting-2600-jobs-and-catalysing-economic-growth.html
The AstraZeneca thing will add only 100 jobs in MoCo. That's nothing. I bet the opening of Dave's Hot Chicken that just happened created 50 new jobs (albeit at lower pay).
MD consistently ranks as one of the worst states to do business in. The County keeps adding more rules and regulations. When was the last time one of those was pro-business?
For example, last week they just increased the notice date for evictions longer than the state minimum ... ignoring that in MD, the eviction process takes 2-3 months minimum anyway as it has to be ordered by Landlord-Tenant court and then executed by the Sheriff. So adding a few more days just makes it worse for business (landlords) with no real benefit.
3:04: Virginia is getting an AstraZeneca facility, as well. It's good news for both states, but doesn't change the status quo of Northern Virginia destroying us in economic development, nor our moribund County economy. Biotech is the only bright spot in the MoCo economy, but is insufficient by itself to make up for our failure in all other sectors.
9:15: The vast majority of the high-wage jobs held by Montgomery County residents are located outside of the County, which has become a bedroom community for the booming job centers elsewhere in our region.
Where would I put the factory? There's no shortage of sites in the I-270 corridor and East County.
You can say that again!
Not to worry, the new proposal of a $25/hour minimum wage in MD will fix everything!
Exactly what part of VA will they locate the plant in.
Probably the US 58 Corridor. Which is absolutely the same as MoCo, as Robert would have you believe.
They haven't announced the location, but other major firms have come to VA in such disparate places as Danville (Hitachi) and Waynesboro (Northrup Grumman, 300 new jobs). The fact of the matter is VA is attractive to business, business pays taxes on many levels, more business helps the economy. MD - not attractive to business. Apologists on this page are either willingly obtuse (to use Andy Dufresne's word) or outright stupid.
(facepalm)
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