More jobs coming to Coast as Rolls-Royce invests millions in Pascagoula Navy facility
Eighty members of the “growing workforce” at Rolls-Royce paraded in to a standing ovation at Thursday’s grand opening of a multi-million dollar facility to build propellers for the U.S. Navy.
Called the Center of Excellence 2, the facility on Industrial Drive Road in Pascagoula is outfitted with the latest high-tech equipment to build nuclear submarine propellers and other equipment for the military.
“We’re the only private company that can manufacture these U.S. Navy’s largest propellers that weigh as much as a 737 (airplane) and are machined to the exacting standards that are the equivalent to a fine Swiss watch,” said Tom Bell, president of Rolls-Royce Defense and chairman and CEO of Rolls-Royce North America.
Construction of the 26,000 square foot building started in August 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, continued through supply chain issues and was completed on time, said Dan Rediger, Rolls-Royce North America head of naval operations.
Each speaker at the ribbon cutting ceremony stressed the importance of the facility to the national defense. Each also saluted the people who will build and use the equipment and the high-paying jobs the expansion brings to South Mississippi.
Employment already has ramped up since the facility neared completion, said Bell.
“We’re actually not at full employment yet,” he said, “so we’re looking to hire more.”
Jobs and apprenticeships
Information about jobs openings and apprenticeship opportunities at Rolls-Royce in Pascagoula are available on the company’s website.
Earlier this year Rolls-Royce partnered with Mississippi Gulf Coast community College to create an apprenticeship program to build a skilled workforce. Apprenticeships are offered in the foundry and for CNC machinist, said Mary Martha Henson, deputy director of the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation.
Stephen Moffett of Pascagoula was the first to sign up to become an apprentice. He found the program while searching an internet job website, he said. Since spring, he goes to school in the morning and reports for work at Rolls-Royce in the afternoon.
“It’s an opportunity,” he said. The apprenticeship pays his tuition, he said, and he gets a paycheck for his work.
The program is registered with the Department of Labor, said Rear Admiral Jonathan Rucker, program executive officer for attack submarines, U.S. Navy.
Rucker has a personal reason for seeing that highly skilled people are working building the part.
“My daughter is underway on a ballistic missile submarine today,” he said, and it’s companies like Rolls Royce that make him know she’s safe out there.
Have the work
“We’ve got work,” Bell said — about three times the amount of work as the facility had just a few years ago.
Rucker said that 10 years ago the Navy was building about 8,000 tons of submarines a year.
“We’re on our way to building over 40,000 tons a year when we get to 2026,” he said. “That’s the work that’s coming.”
Last year Rolls-Royce reached agreement with Fincantieri Marinette Marine to design and manufacture up to 40 fixed-pitch propellers for the U.S. Navy’s Constellation-class (FFG-62) guided missile frigate program.
Real Admiral David Goggins said Rolls-Royce is one of 5,000 key vendors across the country supplying material to build the Virginia class submarines in Newport News, Virginia.
Good for state and Coast
“Today is just yet another example of companies not only all over the country, but all over the world recognizing the quality of our workforce and the quality of life that their employees have in Mississippi,” said Gov. Tate Reeves.
He said the apprenticeship program is very important to South Mississippi.
“That gives more kids here on the Gulf Coast the opportunity to understand the kind of jobs that are available to them,” he said.
“If you talk to the folks at this company or any other company, the biggest challenge we have around the country right now is workforce and getting people that have the skills to do these high quality jobs,” Reeves said.
Part of the financing for the new center came the BP economic damages fund and George Freeland, executive director of Jackson County Economic Development Foundation said with the high-paying jobs and workforce training created plus the road and infrastructure improvements, this project checks all the boxes for the quality of projects the money was intended to support.
