DMR Technologies announced plans to establish its first full-scale U.S. manufacturing facility in Lafayette, Louisiana, where it intends to produce and deploy its flagship Field Ranger X50 unmanned aerial systems.
The company expects the facility to create 521 direct new jobs over the next 10 years. Louisiana Economic Development (LED) estimates that the project will also generate 766 indirect jobs.
The Lafayette site will serve as DMR’s primary domestic production hub, integrating advanced flight control printing, rotor manufacturing, assembly, quality control, warehousing and logistics staging. It will also house co-located engineering and compliance teams.
The company expects the location to assemble 500 to 1,000 drones during its first year of production.
"Being located in Louisiana gives us a strong logistics footprint to serve both U.S. and international clients,” DMR Technologies Co-founder and Head of U.S. Operations Ryan Case said. “With the launch of our Lafayette facility, we’re eliminating lead time issues and delivering next-day fulfillment for many of our U.S. customers."
Renovations at the 10,000-square-foot facility are already underway, with production slated to begin by the end of the year.
The state of Louisiana offered DMR a competitive incentives package that includes the comprehensive workforce development solutions of LED FastStart and a $1 million performance-based grant for leasehold improvements and equipment costs. LED also expects the company to participate in the state’s High Impact Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs.
