Rolls, U.S. Investing Millions In Upgrades To Naval Facility

Rolls-Royce and the U.S. government will invest millions of dollars to upgrade the company’s capability and capacity for U.S. Navy ship propulsion components in its facility in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

The federal Defense Production Act Title III office has already agreed to invest US$22 million for equipment, with Rolls-Royce making an additional investment for building improvements, supplemented with support from Jackson County and the state of Mississippi.

The Pascagoula facility is already considered a Center of Excellence within Rolls-Royce, and the new investment will strengthen the company’s ability to manufacture propellers and propulsor components for Navy ships. Rolls-Royce will build a new 26 000 sq. ft. building, with new foundry and machining equipment provided by DPA Title III funding, which will support new jobs and workforce development.

Naval components manufactured by Rolls-Royce at Pascagoula include controllable-pitch propeller systems, fixed pitch propellers, and water jets. The components help power the majority of U.S. Navy ships, including aircraft carriers, destroyers and other vessels.

“This community partnership between the Defense Production Act Title III organization and Rolls-Royce, along with Mississippi and Jackson County officials, is a major success for all involved,” said Daniel Rediger, Rolls-Royce, Head of Naval Operations. “Rolls-Royce will improve our capability to serve Navy shipbuilding; the Navy will benefit from our added capacity; and Jackson County will add new, highly skilled jobs and a secure future for local industry.”

Support from other partner organizations includes land, roadway and other infrastructure improvements, and additional workforce development assistance.

The Rolls-Royce Pascagoula project follows investment in a new 24 000 sq. ft. building at the company’s Walpole, Massachusetts, facility.