LA PLATA — The Charles County Economic Development Department joined the American Center for Manufacturing & Innovation and the Energetics Technology Center Thursday to break ground on the Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub, a new campus in Western Charles County designed to accelerate energetics production, process innovation and advanced manufacturing.
The project is anchored by a $50 million investment from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division and is expected to attract more than $200 million in additional private capital. It will support research, testing and production capabilities for energetic material systems while strengthening the defense industrial base.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub in Charles County and to welcome new and expanding investment into our local economy,” said Jim Chandler, director of the Charles County Economic Development Department. “This project strengthens our economic base, drives private sector growth, and expands opportunities for advanced manufacturing, innovation, and high-quality jobs. It also reinforces the Western Charles County Technology Corridor as a competitive hub for defense, energetics, and technology-driven industries.”
The Western Charles County Technology Corridor stretches from Naval Support Facility Indian Head to Bryans Road and the Maryland Airport. It connects the Navy’s center for energetics with development-ready sites and transportation infrastructure. The Department of Defense plans to invest approximately $2.7 billion over the next decade in modernization projects at Indian Head related to energy systems, infrastructure and mission support.
Dave Dowell, CEO of ACMI Properties, described the hub as a transformational investment for Charles County and Southern Maryland. “Sparked by a $50 million award from NSWC Indian Head Division, ACMI is building on that commitment by attracting more than $200 million in private capital—accelerating construction, creating high-quality jobs, and attracting leading defense technology companies to the region,” Dowell said. “This project isn’t just about strengthening America’s industrial base, it’s about planting an innovation economy that turns breakthrough ideas into production-ready capabilities, faster than ever before.”
The hub will bring together industry, academia and government partners to address challenges in the industrial base, improve production efficiency and accelerate innovation in both existing and next-generation energetic material systems. Energetics include propellants, explosives and pyrotechnics critical to national defense.
Charles County Commissioner President Reuben Collins highlighted the strategic importance of the project. “Investments like the American Center for Manufacturing & Innovation and the Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub strengthen Charles County’s position within the defense ecosystem and reinforce the importance of the Western Charles County Technology Corridor,” Collins said. “We look forward to continued collaboration with our public and private partners across government, industry, and academia as we build on this momentum and expand opportunities across Charles County, the Southern Maryland region, the state of Maryland, and the national defense sector.”
The Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub is located in the heart of the Western Charles County Technology Corridor, an emerging growth area in Southern Maryland. Charles County, along with Calvert and St. Mary’s counties, forms the core of Southern Maryland’s economy, which benefits from proximity to Naval Support Facility Indian Head and other defense-related installations. The project is expected to create high-quality jobs in advanced manufacturing and research while supporting long-term economic diversification in the region.
The groundbreaking comes as the Navy continues to modernize its energetics capabilities at Indian Head. The new hub will expand testing, research and production capacity near the installation, helping to meet growing national security demands while providing economic benefits to local communities in Charles County.
For more information about the Western Charles County Technology Corridor and project updates, visit www.MeetCharlesCounty.com.
The Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub represents a significant step forward for Southern Maryland’s role in the national defense industrial base. Charles County officials view the project as a catalyst for additional private investment and job creation throughout the county and the broader tri-county region.
