A manufacturer of high-tech military materials officially opened its new production facility in southeastern Kentucky last week.
Fibrotex’s U.S. subsidiary last fall secured a 10-year, $480 million Pentagon contract to supply the Army with Ultra-Lightweight Camouflage Net Systems, which can help conceal personnel, vehicles, and weapons systems across a wide range of potential terrains.
The Israeli company partnered with Outdoor Venture Corp., a longtime military tent supplier based in Stearns, Kentucky to establish the $12.1 million manufacturing facility in the city. The project is expected to create as many as 350 new jobs.
Fibrotex officials said the factory will help meet the challenges of new threats through next-generation “camouflage, concealment, and deception doctrines,” while OVC’s chief executive predicted the partnership would last well beyond the length of the ULCANS contract.
“This is an important long-term partnership that we are building in McCreary County to supply products directly to the Army,” OVC President and CEO JC Egnew said in the announcement.
Outdoor Venture is eligible for up to $200,000 in sales tax incentives on construction and equipment purchases, along with reduced-cost job placement and training assistance.
