{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"162242","rtpr_id":"nACSgQjmYa-20261006","ticker":"AVI","exchange":"Borsa Italiana","all_tickers":["AVI"],"title":"Avio USA Breaks Ground in Virginia on First U.S. Solid Rocket Motor Facility, Strengthening Defense Supply Chain and Creating Over 1,000 Jobs","author":"ACCESSWIRE","published_at":"2026-10-06T16:00:00.348Z","article_body":"COLLEFERRO, IT / ACCESS Newswire (https://www.accessnewswire.com/) / October\n6, 2026 / Avio USA today broke ground on its first U.S. manufacturing\nfacility, an approximately 900,000-square-foot solid rocket motor plant in\nHurt, Virginia, that will add significant domestic capacity for U.S. missile\nand munitions production.\n\nLocated at the Southern Virginia Multimodal Park, the new facility will give\nAvio USA the capacity to produce thousands of solid rocket motors annually for\nU.S. tactical missile programs. The company expects to create roughly 1,500\nhigh-quality technical jobs in Southern Virginia.\n\n\"America needs new suppliers to expand capacity, strengthen competition, and\naccelerate production now for solid rocket motors and munitions,\" said\nSecretary Hung Cao. \"Virginia already carries a critical share of the nation's\nenergetics workload. This new facility in Hurt will build on that strength,\nreinforce our defense industrial base, and help ensure our warfighters are\nequipped to fight, win, and come home safe.\"\n\n\"Avio USA is building more than a manufacturing facility in Virginia. We are\nbuilding an American company and workforce that can bring Avio's proven\npropulsion expertise to the U.S. defense market,\" said James Syring, CEO of\nAvio USA. \"Our goal is to be an independent, open-source merchant supplier,\nable to support multiple customers and programs and provide major defense\nprimes with an additional source for this critical capability. That means more\ncapacity, more competition and greater resilience in the American rocket motor\nsupply chain. We are grateful to the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Town of\nHurt, Pittsylvania County, the Department of War and our customers for their\nsupport.\"\n\n\"I am thrilled to welcome Avio to Pittsylvania County and look forward to the\nopportunities this investment will create for generations of Virginians to\ncome,\" said Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger. \"This groundbreaking\nrepresents what is possible when an innovative company, a skilled workforce,\nand committed state and local partners come together with a shared vision.\nAvio's investment will create jobs, advance critical manufacturing\ncapabilities, and reinforce Virginia's position as a premier destination for\naerospace and defense industry growth.\"\n\nAvio USA is a subsidiary of Avio S.p.A., a global rocket and space propulsion\nleader based in Rome, Italy, and operates under a DCSA Special Security\nAgreement.\n\n\"Today we are turning Avio's long-term strategy into industrial reality,\" said\nGiulio Ranzo, CEO of Avio. \"The successful completion of our capital raise\nprovided the resources for this investment, which will expand the U.S. solid\nrocket motor manufacturing capacity and establish a lasting American presence\nfor Avio. Combining our proven expertise with local talent, we will support\nour customers and contribute to a more resilient defense supply chain.\"\n\nHITT Contracting is leading construction as the general contractor, driving\ndelivery of the advanced manufacturing facility. Construction is expected to\nbe completed by late 2028 with production anticipated to begin in early 2029.\nThe facility is being developed to support solid rocket motor requirements\nacross the U.S. defense industry, including programs for Lockheed Martin and\nRaytheon.\n\n\"This new facility is a significant step toward a more robust and diverse\nsupply chain for solid rocket motors that are critical to our nation's\ndefense,\" said Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control President Tim Cahill.\n\"Lockheed Martin is working hand-in-hand with Avio USA to expand this vital\nresource that will benefit the entire defense industrial base.\"\n\n\"Today's groundbreaking expands the nation's manufacturing capacity for solid\nrocket motors,\" said Bob Butz, senior vice president of Operations, Supply\nChain and Quality at Raytheon, an RTX business. \"Modern production facilities\nfocused on critical defense technologies are essential to strengthening\nnational readiness. By expanding and diversifying our supply base through\nadditional sourcing options, we are supporting long term growth across the\ndefense industrial base and ensuring we can deliver more capability faster to\nthe warfighter.\"\n\n\"Avio's project is an important investment in our home state of Virginia,\nincreasing manufacturing and the domestic supply chain that supports our\nnation's defense capabilities,\" said Josh Foreso, Executive Vice President of\nHITT Contracting. \"HITT has a long history of building throughout Virginia,\nand we're proud to bring our local experience in manufacturing and aerospace\nconstruction to Avio's new home in Hurt. Alongside strong local trade\npartners, we are focused on safely delivering another piece of America's\ncritical infrastructure while supporting Avio's investment in the expansion of\nU.S. manufacturing.\"\n\n***\n\nAvio is a leading international group engaged in the manufacturing and\ndevelopment of space launchers and solid, liquid and cryogenic propulsion\nsystems. The experience and know-how built up over more than 50 years puts\nAvio at the cutting-edge of the space launcher sector and defense program.\nAvio is present in Italy, France, United States and French Guyana, employing\nmore than 1,500 highly qualified personnel. Avio is the prime contractor for\nthe Vega program and a sub-contractor for the Ariane program, as well as a\nleading solid rocket motor subcontractor for the design and manufacturing of\nmajor European tactical missile programs.\n\nAvio USA Inc., headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, is a subsidiary of Avio\nS.p.A. structured to operate in compliance with U.S. security and\nexport-control regulations. The company is governed by a U.S.-based board of\ndirectors and led by CEO James Syring, a retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral and\nformer Director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. Avio USA is building a\ngrowing U.S. engineering, manufacturing and operations presence, leveraging\nAvio's global propulsion expertise to expand domestic production and serve as\nan independent supplier to U.S. defense customers and industry partners.\n\nLockheed Martin is a global defense technology company driving innovation and\nadvancing scientific discovery. Our all-domain mission solutions and 21st\nCentury Security® vision accelerate the delivery of transformative\ntechnologies to ensure those we serve always stay ahead of ready. More\ninformation at Lockheedmartin.com\n\nRaytheon - With more than 180,000 global employees, we push the limits of\ntechnology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. With\nindustry-leading capabilities, we advance aviation, engineer integrated\ndefense systems for operational success, and develop next-generation\ntechnology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their\nmost critical challenges. The company, with 2025 sales of more than $88\nbillion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.\n\nHITT Contracting provides a wide range of commercial construction services\nacross the nation, including complex core and shell buildings, renovations,\ninterior fit-outs, and routine service work. No matter the project size or\ntype, HITT delivers a premium construction experience. With 2025 revenues of\n$13.1 billion and more than 3,600 team members nationwide, HITT is ranked\namong the top 10 largest general contractors in the U.S. For nearly 90 years,\nthe Washington, D.C.-area headquartered firm has been driven by a spark of\ncuriosity to push boundaries and redefine what's possible in construction.\nThrough innovation, sustainability, and partnership, HITT is igniting progress\nand tackling the industry's greatest challenges while consistently delivering\nexceptional building experiences. Learn more about HITT's general contracting\ncapabilities at hitt.com\n\nFor further information\n\nMedia Relations contacts:\nfrancesco.delorenzo@avio.com\n\nInvestor Relations contacts:\nnevio.quattrin@avio.com\n\nAvio USA - Media Relations\nkristina@messnermediagroup.com\n\nSOURCE: Avio S.p.A.\nView the original press release\n(https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/aerospace-and-defense/avio-usa-breaks-ground-in-virginia-on-first-u.s.-solid-rocket-motor-facility-1233587)\non ACCESS Newswire\n\n\nCopyright 2026 ACCESS Newswire. All Rights Reserved.","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nACSgQjmYa-20261006","title":"Avio USA Breaks Ground in Virginia on First U.S. Solid Rocket Motor Facility, Strengthening Defense Supply Chain and Creating Over 1,000 Jobs","author":"ACCESSWIRE","ticker":"AVI","created":"2026-10-06T16:00:00.348Z","tickers":["AVI"],"exchange":"Borsa Italiana","article_body":"COLLEFERRO, IT / ACCESS Newswire (https://www.accessnewswire.com/) / October\n6, 2026 / Avio USA today broke ground on its first U.S. manufacturing\nfacility, an approximately 900,000-square-foot solid rocket motor plant in\nHurt, Virginia, that will add significant domestic capacity for U.S. missile\nand munitions production.\n\nLocated at the Southern Virginia Multimodal Park, the new facility will give\nAvio USA the capacity to produce thousands of solid rocket motors annually for\nU.S. tactical missile programs. The company expects to create roughly 1,500\nhigh-quality technical jobs in Southern Virginia.\n\n\"America needs new suppliers to expand capacity, strengthen competition, and\naccelerate production now for solid rocket motors and munitions,\" said\nSecretary Hung Cao. \"Virginia already carries a critical share of the nation's\nenergetics workload. This new facility in Hurt will build on that strength,\nreinforce our defense industrial base, and help ensure our warfighters are\nequipped to fight, win, and come home safe.\"\n\n\"Avio USA is building more than a manufacturing facility in Virginia. We are\nbuilding an American company and workforce that can bring Avio's proven\npropulsion expertise to the U.S. defense market,\" said James Syring, CEO of\nAvio USA. \"Our goal is to be an independent, open-source merchant supplier,\nable to support multiple customers and programs and provide major defense\nprimes with an additional source for this critical capability. That means more\ncapacity, more competition and greater resilience in the American rocket motor\nsupply chain. We are grateful to the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Town of\nHurt, Pittsylvania County, the Department of War and our customers for their\nsupport.\"\n\n\"I am thrilled to welcome Avio to Pittsylvania County and look forward to the\nopportunities this investment will create for generations of Virginians to\ncome,\" said Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger. \"This groundbreaking\nrepresents what is possible when an innovative company, a skilled workforce,\nand committed state and local partners come together with a shared vision.\nAvio's investment will create jobs, advance critical manufacturing\ncapabilities, and reinforce Virginia's position as a premier destination for\naerospace and defense industry growth.\"\n\nAvio USA is a subsidiary of Avio S.p.A., a global rocket and space propulsion\nleader based in Rome, Italy, and operates under a DCSA Special Security\nAgreement.\n\n\"Today we are turning Avio's long-term strategy into industrial reality,\" said\nGiulio Ranzo, CEO of Avio. \"The successful completion of our capital raise\nprovided the resources for this investment, which will expand the U.S. solid\nrocket motor manufacturing capacity and establish a lasting American presence\nfor Avio. Combining our proven expertise with local talent, we will support\nour customers and contribute to a more resilient defense supply chain.\"\n\nHITT Contracting is leading construction as the general contractor, driving\ndelivery of the advanced manufacturing facility. Construction is expected to\nbe completed by late 2028 with production anticipated to begin in early 2029.\nThe facility is being developed to support solid rocket motor requirements\nacross the U.S. defense industry, including programs for Lockheed Martin and\nRaytheon.\n\n\"This new facility is a significant step toward a more robust and diverse\nsupply chain for solid rocket motors that are critical to our nation's\ndefense,\" said Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control President Tim Cahill.\n\"Lockheed Martin is working hand-in-hand with Avio USA to expand this vital\nresource that will benefit the entire defense industrial base.\"\n\n\"Today's groundbreaking expands the nation's manufacturing capacity for solid\nrocket motors,\" said Bob Butz, senior vice president of Operations, Supply\nChain and Quality at Raytheon, an RTX business. \"Modern production facilities\nfocused on critical defense technologies are essential to strengthening\nnational readiness. By expanding and diversifying our supply base through\nadditional sourcing options, we are supporting long term growth across the\ndefense industrial base and ensuring we can deliver more capability faster to\nthe warfighter.\"\n\n\"Avio's project is an important investment in our home state of Virginia,\nincreasing manufacturing and the domestic supply chain that supports our\nnation's defense capabilities,\" said Josh Foreso, Executive Vice President of\nHITT Contracting. \"HITT has a long history of building throughout Virginia,\nand we're proud to bring our local experience in manufacturing and aerospace\nconstruction to Avio's new home in Hurt. Alongside strong local trade\npartners, we are focused on safely delivering another piece of America's\ncritical infrastructure while supporting Avio's investment in the expansion of\nU.S. manufacturing.\"\n\n***\n\nAvio is a leading international group engaged in the manufacturing and\ndevelopment of space launchers and solid, liquid and cryogenic propulsion\nsystems. The experience and know-how built up over more than 50 years puts\nAvio at the cutting-edge of the space launcher sector and defense program.\nAvio is present in Italy, France, United States and French Guyana, employing\nmore than 1,500 highly qualified personnel. Avio is the prime contractor for\nthe Vega program and a sub-contractor for the Ariane program, as well as a\nleading solid rocket motor subcontractor for the design and manufacturing of\nmajor European tactical missile programs.\n\nAvio USA Inc., headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, is a subsidiary of Avio\nS.p.A. structured to operate in compliance with U.S. security and\nexport-control regulations. The company is governed by a U.S.-based board of\ndirectors and led by CEO James Syring, a retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral and\nformer Director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. Avio USA is building a\ngrowing U.S. engineering, manufacturing and operations presence, leveraging\nAvio's global propulsion expertise to expand domestic production and serve as\nan independent supplier to U.S. defense customers and industry partners.\n\nLockheed Martin is a global defense technology company driving innovation and\nadvancing scientific discovery. Our all-domain mission solutions and 21st\nCentury Security® vision accelerate the delivery of transformative\ntechnologies to ensure those we serve always stay ahead of ready. More\ninformation at Lockheedmartin.com\n\nRaytheon - With more than 180,000 global employees, we push the limits of\ntechnology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. With\nindustry-leading capabilities, we advance aviation, engineer integrated\ndefense systems for operational success, and develop next-generation\ntechnology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their\nmost critical challenges. The company, with 2025 sales of more than $88\nbillion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.\n\nHITT Contracting provides a wide range of commercial construction services\nacross the nation, including complex core and shell buildings, renovations,\ninterior fit-outs, and routine service work. No matter the project size or\ntype, HITT delivers a premium construction experience. With 2025 revenues of\n$13.1 billion and more than 3,600 team members nationwide, HITT is ranked\namong the top 10 largest general contractors in the U.S. For nearly 90 years,\nthe Washington, D.C.-area headquartered firm has been driven by a spark of\ncuriosity to push boundaries and redefine what's possible in construction.\nThrough innovation, sustainability, and partnership, HITT is igniting progress\nand tackling the industry's greatest challenges while consistently delivering\nexceptional building experiences. Learn more about HITT's general contracting\ncapabilities at hitt.com\n\nFor further information\n\nMedia Relations contacts:\nfrancesco.delorenzo@avio.com\n\nInvestor Relations contacts:\nnevio.quattrin@avio.com\n\nAvio USA - Media Relations\nkristina@messnermediagroup.com\n\nSOURCE: Avio S.p.A.\nView the original press release\n(https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/aerospace-and-defense/avio-usa-breaks-ground-in-virginia-on-first-u.s.-solid-rocket-motor-facility-1233587)\non ACCESS Newswire\n\n\nCopyright 2026 ACCESS Newswire. All Rights Reserved."},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-10-06T16:00:00.471456045Z","server_sent_at_ms":1791302400471},"received_at":"2026-10-06T16:00:00.522Z","source_url":"https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/aerospace-and-defense/avio-usa-breaks-ground-in-virginia-on-first-u.s.-solid-rocket-motor-facility-1233587"},"analysis":{"id":"150739","press_release_id":"162242","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Aerospace & Defense","sector":"Industrials"},"redFlags":["No revenue contribution until production begins in early 2029 — long-dated payoff"],"eventType":"operations_update","narrative":"Avio USA, a subsidiary of Italy's Avio S.p.A., broke ground on its first U.S. solid rocket motor facility — roughly 900,000 square feet in Hurt, Virginia — adding domestic capacity for U.S. missile and munitions production.\n\nThe plant is expected to create about 1,500 jobs, with construction finishing by late 2028 and production starting in early 2029.\n\nThe facility is designed to support U.S. defense programs including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, positioning Avio as an independent merchant supplier in the U.S. rocket motor supply chain.","sentiment":"bullish","agentHooks":{"shouldPost":true,"suggestedAngle":"Avio plants a U.S. flag in the tight solid-rocket-motor duopoly with Lockheed and Raytheon as anchor customers."},"keyFigures":{"customDimensions":{"jobs_created":1500,"facility_sqft":900000,"production_start":"early 2029","construction_completion":"late 2028"}},"quotedText":"Our goal is to be an independent, open-source merchant supplier, able to support multiple customers and programs and provide major defense primes with an additional source for this critical capability.","namedEntities":{"people":[{"name":"James Syring","role":"CEO of Avio USA"},{"name":"Giulio Ranzo","role":"CEO of Avio"},{"name":"Hung Cao","role":"U.S. Secretary (Navy/defense official)"},{"name":"Abigail Spanberger","role":"Governor of Virginia"},{"name":"Tim Cahill","role":"President, Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control"},{"name":"Bob Butz","role":"SVP Operations, Supply Chain and Quality, Raytheon"},{"name":"Josh Foreso","role":"EVP, HITT Contracting"}],"products":["solid rocket motors"],"companies":[{"name":"Avio USA Inc.","ticker":"AVI","relationship":"filer (subsidiary of Avio S.p.A.)"},{"name":"Avio S.p.A.","relationship":"parent"},{"name":"Lockheed Martin","ticker":"LMT","relationship":"customer"},{"name":"Raytheon","ticker":"RTX","relationship":"customer"},{"name":"HITT Contracting","relationship":"general contractor"}],"dollarAmounts":[{"amount":"$13.1 billion","context":"HITT Contracting 2025 revenues"},{"amount":"$88 billion","context":"Raytheon (RTX) 2025 sales"}]},"materialImpact":{"score":3,"reasoning":"Groundbreaking on a ~900,000 sq ft U.S. solid rocket motor facility creating ~1,500 jobs, backed by demand visibility from Lockheed Martin and Raytheon programs. Strategically significant for Avio's U.S. defense expansion, but construction completes late 2028 with production in early 2029, so no near-term financial impact."},"tickerRelevance":{"others":[{"ticker":"LMT","relevance":"customer"},{"ticker":"RTX","relevance":"customer"}],"primary":"AVI"},"globalImportance":32,"audienceRelevance":25,"eventTypeSecondary":[],"importanceComponents":{"tickerTier":"mid-cap international defense","eventGravity":"strategic capacity expansion, groundbreaking only","sectorWeight":"defense industrial base expansion","timelineDelay":"production not until early 2029"}},"event_type":"operations_update","event_type_secondary":null,"sentiment":"bullish","material_impact_score":3,"narrative":"Avio USA, a subsidiary of Italy's Avio S.p.A., broke ground on its first U.S. solid rocket motor facility — roughly 900,000 square feet in Hurt, Virginia — adding domestic capacity for U.S. missile and munitions production.\n\nThe plant is expected to create about 1,500 jobs, with construction finishing by late 2028 and production starting in early 2029.\n\nThe facility is designed to support U.S. defense programs including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, positioning Avio as an independent merchant supplier in the U.S. rocket motor supply chain.","key_figures":{"customDimensions":{"jobs_created":1500,"facility_sqft":900000,"production_start":"early 2029","construction_completion":"late 2028"}},"named_entities":{"people":[{"name":"James Syring","role":"CEO of Avio USA"},{"name":"Giulio Ranzo","role":"CEO of Avio"},{"name":"Hung Cao","role":"U.S. Secretary (Navy/defense official)"},{"name":"Abigail Spanberger","role":"Governor of Virginia"},{"name":"Tim Cahill","role":"President, Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control"},{"name":"Bob Butz","role":"SVP Operations, Supply Chain and Quality, Raytheon"},{"name":"Josh Foreso","role":"EVP, HITT Contracting"}],"products":["solid rocket motors"],"companies":[{"name":"Avio USA Inc.","ticker":"AVI","relationship":"filer (subsidiary of Avio S.p.A.)"},{"name":"Avio S.p.A.","relationship":"parent"},{"name":"Lockheed Martin","ticker":"LMT","relationship":"customer"},{"name":"Raytheon","ticker":"RTX","relationship":"customer"},{"name":"HITT Contracting","relationship":"general contractor"}],"dollarAmounts":[{"amount":"$13.1 billion","context":"HITT Contracting 2025 revenues"},{"amount":"$88 billion","context":"Raytheon (RTX) 2025 sales"}]},"model_name":"glm-5.3-flashx","prompt_hash":"sha256:5c812bd9e28b810d","schema_hash":"sha256:05005c02d9cffac9","created_at":"2026-10-06T16:00:08.478Z","global_importance":32,"audience_relevance":25,"importance_components":{"tickerTier":"mid-cap international defense","eventGravity":"strategic capacity expansion, groundbreaking only","sectorWeight":"defense industrial base expansion","timelineDelay":"production not until early 2029"}},"durationMs":7933,"modelName":"glm-5.3-flashx"}}