ACMI breaks ground on first national manufacturing campus in Indiana, pioneering new model for American defense production

The American Center for Manufacturing & Innovation (ACMI) marked a major milestone in rebuilding America’s defense manufacturing capacity, hosting a formal groundbreaking ceremony for its first National Security Industrial Hub (NSIH) in Indiana, located adjacent to Naval Surface Warfare Center – Crane Division and Crane Army Ammunition Activity. Backed by a $75 million Munitions Campus Pilot Program award from the Department of War, the Indiana campus will serve as a cornerstone of a new public-private model designed to help U.S. manufacturers scale faster, reduce risk, and meet the growing production demands of the military.

The Indiana campus represents the inaugural deployment of ACMI’s National Security Industrial Hub strategy. This novel approach brings together shared infrastructure for advanced manufacturing and co-located partners to help companies move from prototype to production more quickly and efficiently while enabling established firms rapidly ramp up production. The Department of War’s Munitions Campus will be built on a portion of the property. Prometheus Energetics – a company that builds advanced solid rocket motors – will locate their headquarters and main solid rocket motor production facility on 600 acres of the site.

“The United States has no shortage of innovation. What it lacks is production capacity at scale,” says John Burer, founder and chief executive officer of ACMI Group. “ACMI’s mission is to close this production gap by aligning government demand, private capital, and modern manufacturing infrastructure. Indiana is where that strategy moves from theory to execution, and it sets the template for how we rebuild the industrial foundation behind America’s military and economic power.”

The project is expected to create thousands of high-paying jobs and catalyze an estimated $600 million in private investment — multiplying the impact of the committed government funding by 8X.

The groundbreaking event brought together state and federal elected officials, manufacturing leaders, and representatives from the Department of War. Attendees included high-ranking representatives from the Department of War, Navy, and Army as well as top officials from academic institutions and the state of Indiana. Senator Jim Banks (R-IN), Senator Todd Young (R-IN), and Representative Mark Messmer (R-IN) delivered remarks underscoring the strategic urgency of restoring domestic manufacturing capacity and the role Indiana will play in strengthening the defense industrial base.

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“The Munitions Campus is a generational investment into America’s defense industrial base,” says Senator Jim Banks. “I’m proud that this project will take place in Indiana, which continues to support our military and national security.”

Situated on more than 1,100 acres near one of the largest naval installations in the world, the Indiana campus is designed to help grow the number and strength of U.S.-based defense manufacturers. For decades, offshoring and consolidation left many American companies unable to scale production domestically. ACMI’s industrial hub model gives manufacturers access to specialized equipment and on-site infrastructure they could not afford or build on their own. By lowering startup and expansion costs, reducing capital risk, and shortening the path from design to production, the campus enables more companies to manufacture in the United States – creating jobs, strengthening supply chains, and expanding the nation’s defense production capacity.

Major construction and phased development will continue as the campus advances toward initial operations beginning in 2027, with additional ACMI campuses planned to support other critical manufacturing missions across the country.