Nammo, an international aerospace and defense company, is partnering with U.S. defense contractor Raytheon to build a $130-million expansion to its existing manufacturing facility in Perry.
Headquartered in Norway, Nammo manufactures rocket motors, specialized ammunition and pyrotechnic products for the U.S. Department of Defense.
The company’s plans call for construction of a rocket motor production plant along with 10 new buildings for the administration, production and testing of solid rocket motors.
The project includes the addition of 320 acres to Nammo’s 1,040-acre property located in Perry.
Elizabeth Eastman, Nammo’s president and general manager, says the production facilities under construction will be staffed by employees with advanced experience in finance, administration, engineering, ballistics and quality control.
Nammo’s expansion plans have given the town of Perry a major economic boost some two years after Georgia-Pacific abruptly shut down its Foley paper production mill. Closing the mill, the largest employer in Taylor County at the time, resulted in the loss of more than 700 jobs and $5.5 million in annual tax revenues.
U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn (R-Panama City) says the Nammo project “will give the United States a reliable domestic source of rocket motors for the foreseeable future while strengthening the North Florida economy.”
AEROSPACE
- Oxford Technologies Corp., a supplier to Sikorski Aircraft, recently announced plans to manufacture leading edge abrasion strips for Black Hawk helicopter rotor blades. The Connecticut-based company says it will invest $7.5 million and create 40 jobs at its facility in the Bay County Industrial Park.
EDUCATION
- Pensacola State College is building a $16-million Aviation Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics facility at Pensacola International Airport. The 34,000-sq.-ft. training center will support the region’s growing aviation industry by preparing students for high-demand jobs in aircraft maintenance. The facility will be located near ST Engineering's three maintenance, repair and overhaul hangars on airport property. The project is being funded by grants from the Florida Department of Commerce, Triumph Gulf Coast and local governments.
HEALTH CARE
- Dale Neely has been named CEO of HCA Florida Capital Hospital in Tallahassee. He succeeds former CEO Chris Mosley, who left in February after less than two years on the job. Neely, who was the hospital’s COO from 2007 to 2012, will oversee HCA’s 288-bed acute care hospital and its outpatient centers and freestanding emergency rooms in Leon and Gadsden counties.
HOUSING
- Santa Rosa County commissioners recently approved plans for five new subdivisions that will add 500 homes to one of the state’s fastest-growing counties. This comes on top of nearly 2,000 homes approved for construction in 2024.
- Alabama-based Crest Residential has begun site preparation work on The Romero, an upscale apartment development on a long-vacant piece of downtown Pensacola real estate. The 282-unit development will have 10 different floor plans with units that range from 612 to 1,393 square feet. “The Romero directly addresses the need for modern multifamily housing in downtown Pensacola,” says Matt Benak with Crest Residential. “A growing residential base will drive economic activity, strengthen local businesses and ensure downtown remains a thriving destination.” The company plans to start pre-leasing units next spring.
TOURISM
- American Cruise Lines will begin offering a luxury cruise service to Pensacola and other Gulf Coast cities in early 2026. The eight-day, seven-night itinerary will take passengers to six ports of call including Mobile, Ala., and Biloxi, Ocean Springs and Pascagoula in Mississippi. The cruise line plans to use the American Symphony, a 180-passenger riverboat.
TRANSPORTATION
- Pensacola International Airport recently set a record for arriving and departing passengers in a single day. Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves says 15,400 passengers passed through the airport on May 19.
IN MEMORIAM
“I have always been drawn to difficult problems, and synthesizing Taxol was a big one.” — Dr. Robert Anthony Holton,a Florida State University scientist who died in May at his Tallahassee home at the age of 81. He’s best known for developing the cancer-fighting chemotherapy drug Taxol.
Unexpected Exit
In a surprise announcement made in May, Martha Saunders resigned her post as president of the University of West Florida. Saunders had served as president since 2017.
Her abrupt resignation comes amid a time of turmoil caused by recent controversial appointments by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the university’s board of trustees.
In a letter sent to faculty and students, Saunders says: “Over the past several years, we’ve accomplished extraordinary things together: record enrollments, historic fundraising, national recognition and a UWF campus culture that puts students first. We’ve met challenges head-on and kept our values intact. I could not be more proud of what we’ve built. In accordance with the terms of my contract, and after thoughtful reflection, I have made the decision to conclude my presidency. Please know I did not make it lightly. I believe this is the right time — for me and for UWF.”
DeSantis’ appointment in January of conservative Idaho author and academic Scott Yenor triggered a vigorous community-wide protest that ultimately led to Yenor resigning in early April as chairman of the board of trustees.
Yenor’s resignation was quickly followed by the DeSantis appointment of Zack Smith, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation who promised a “bumpy road” ahead for the university and a close reexamination of UWF’s leadership, policies and academic programs.
In late May, DeSantis appointed Manny Diaz as interim UWF president. Diaz was Florida’s Education Commissioner and a former state Senate and House member representing Miami-Dade County districts.
“We will continue our efforts to save UWF from this hostile political takeover, and we all regret that President Saunders found it unbearable.” — Judy Bense, former UWF president