HUNTSVILLE – Turner Construction recently celebrated the topping-out for Aerojet Rocketdyne’s new advanced manufacturing facility in Huntsville. The facility began construction in March and is set for completion in December of this year.

The final rendering of the facility (CONTRIBUTED)

The 136,000-square-foot industrial facility, which sits on 18.25 acres at the corner of Pulaski Pike and Prosperity Drive, will be used to produce subcomponents of the AR1 rocket engines, composite cases for rocket motors and 3D-printed rocket engine components. The facility will provide an employment boost to the Huntsville area, bringing approximately 180 jobs at its peak and further elevating North Alabama as a center of aerospace and technology.

The Sept. 28 ceremony also celebrated the milestone of 70,000 safe man-hours on the project. The following project executives and site leaders spoke at the event: James Ramseier, senior manager at Aerojet Rocketdyne; Chip Cherry, CEO of Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce; Medora Gaddes, assistant project manager at Hoar Program Management (HPM); Justin Lanfair, Turner Construction Company project manager; and Denny Lulfs, Turner Construction Company superintendent. Lulfs, along with the project team, raised the final beam during the celebration.

“Turner’s extensive background in aerospace and manufacturing work made them ideally suited for this project, and we’re excited to see the progress so far,” said Ramseier. “Their team’s high level of knowledge and experience gives us great confidence in their ability to complete this highly technical and complex project on schedule.”

The building’s exterior is a conventional steel framing with site-cast insulated load-bearing tilt-up wall panels. Inside, there will be several 5- and 10-ton cranes and process-driven utility systems. Turner is collaborating on the project with local Fuqua & Partners Architects and engineers at LBYD, SSOE Group and S&ME.

“Having already built a number of large aerospace facilities across North Alabama and the nation, our team was well prepared to take on a project of this magnitude,” said Lee Holland, project executive at Turner Construction Company’s Huntsville office. “We’re proud to be a part of this high-profile facility, which will continue to build Huntsville’s reputation as an emerging aerospace and technology hub.”

Turner is a North America-based, international construction services company headquartered in New York City. Since opening its Huntsville office in 1955, Turner Construction/Huntsville has played a significant role in the Huntsville community. It has been involved in the construction of such iconic buildings as the Davidson Center for Space Exploration and its freestanding Saturn V rocket, the Von Braun Center, ADTRAN, the Shelby Center at The University of Alabama – Huntsville, Raytheon, the Huntsville Chamber of Commerce and the Huntsville Public Library. Its clients include City of Huntsville, USACE – Redstone, State of Alabama, City of Madison and Limestone County. Learn more about Turner at www.turnerconstruction.com.