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KIHOMAC manufacturing plant opens in Warner Robins; hiring underway with expansion planned. The KIHOMAC manufacturing plant is now open with 75 workers on site and dozens more jobs expected as production ramps up. WARNER ROBINS, Ga. - A new aerospace manufacturing facility in Warner Robins is now fully operational, with crews already working inside and hiring still underway. Inside the 130,000-square-foot KIHOMAC facility, machinery is running and production work is underway supporting military aviation programs tied to Robins Air Force Base. The facility represents a $7 million contract with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. KIHOMAC Chief Financial Officer Amy Brand said the workforce is continuing to grow as the facility ramps up production. "The intent is to hire all Middle Georgia employees," Brand said. Brand said about 75 employees are currently working at the Warner Robins location, with plans to add another 50 to 70 positions over the next two years as additional equipment and contract work are added. "We work on a number of different aircraft and Kihomac solves problems for the aircraft," Brand said. Work inside the facility includes sheet metal fabrication, specialized wiring, and composite manufacturing used to support aging military aircraft. "We'll need welders, machinists, variety of types of technical skills," Brand said. The company says it is hiring for a range of full-time roles including welders, machinists, composite technicians, wire harness specialists, and other skilled manufacturing and engineering positions. KIHOMAC supports aircraft tied to Robins Air Force Base, including engineering and parts work for the C-5 aircraft, as well as production tied to the F-35 travel pod program. "For Robins, we support the C-5 with both engineering and parts. And one thing that's being made here is the travel pod for the F-35. And we're adding additional parts every day," Brand said. Brand said the facility represents continued growth for the company in Middle Georgia. "Having this facility here is only going to expand the relationships that have been built over that time and make us a more solid member of the community," Brand said. While many are seeing the company's Warner Robins operation for the first time, officials said KIHOMAC has operated in the Middle Georgia region for about 17 years. The company's primary mission involves creating replacement parts for aging military aircraft, some dating back to the 1960s and 1970s. KIHOMAC currently supports three Air Force logistics complexes: Utah Hill, Robins, and Tinker Air Force Bases. Robins Air Force Base continues to be a major economic driver in the region, with officials estimating its annual economic impact at nearly $4.2 billion in salaries, services, contracts, and more. The new facility is located at 1978 Lightning Way.

U.S. Air Force selects KIHOMAC for AN/FPS-117 radar support. The United States Air Force has awarded a $32.4 million contract to KIHOMAC to provide contractor logistics support services for the AN/FPS-117 long-range radar system, according to an official award notice published February 27, 2026. The award covers sustainment services for the Atmospheric Early Warning System (AEWS) program and establishes a five-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract, with an additional six-month extension option. The contract supports continued operation and maintenance of the AN/FPS-117 radar, a key ground-based air surveillance system used for long-range detection and early warning missions. According to the award notice issued by the Department of Defense - referred to here as the U.S. Department of War - the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Atmospheric Early Warning System Program Management Office awarded the contract as a full and open competition procurement. No set-aside designation was used. The total contract value, including base performance and all options, is listed at $32,400,000. KIHOMAC Inc., headquartered in Reston, Virginia, will deliver Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) services categorized under Product Service Code J059, covering maintenance, repair, and rebuild of electrical and electronic equipment components. As stated in the award documentation, the contract provides logistics sustainment for the AN/FPS-117 Long Range Radar System. These services typically include system maintenance, technical support, supply chain management, repair coordination, and lifecycle sustainment activities designed to keep radar installations operational over extended deployment periods. The United States Air Force uses the AN/FPS-117 radar as part of its fixed-site air surveillance architecture. Developed as a solid-state, L-band three-dimensional air search radar, the system is capable of detecting and tracking aircraft targets at long distances while operating with relatively low maintenance requirements compared with earlier radar generations. In operational terms, the AN/FPS-117 provides continuous monitoring of airspace by scanning wide areas and generating real-time tracking data for air defense networks. The radar feeds command-and-control systems that help military operators identify airborne objects, distinguish between friendly and unknown aircraft, and support early warning decisions. Because these radars often operate in remote or strategically positioned locations, sustainment contracts play a central role in ensuring uninterrupted availability. Contractor logistics support allows specialized industry teams to handle complex repairs, component replacement, and system upgrades without removing equipment from service for extended periods. According to the award notice, the contract was issued by the Air Force Materiel Command through the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Electronic Systems Directorate. The organization oversees acquisition and sustainment of command, control, communications, intelligence, and surveillance systems used across the service. The AEWS program manages atmospheric and early warning radar capabilities that contribute to integrated air defense and situational awareness missions. These systems form part of broader sensor networks that support homeland defense and overseas monitoring requirements. The AN/FPS-117 radar has remained in service for decades due to its modular design and upgrade potential. Rather than replacing entire radar installations, the United States Air Force has frequently relied on sustainment and modernization efforts to extend operational life while maintaining compatibility with modern command networks.

Good prospects for Warner Robins. The positive outlook for Warner Robins has to do with a combination of economic development, an expanding population and a low cost of living, among other factors. In 2026, Warner Robins' economy should modestly outperform the U.S. economy. The sanguine forecast reflects recent economic development success, above-average population growth, a match of the area's workforce skills with employers' needs, and low business and living costs. Robins Air Force Base will contribute more to economic growth in 2026, with potential for accelerated growth in defense budgets. The metro area's interstate highway and rail links to Atlanta, Tampa and the Port of Savannah are excellent and enhance prospects for additional economic development projects. Compared to the state and the nation, Warner Robins' economy is more dependent on government, manufacturing, leisure/hospitality and retail trade. There's lots of potential to grow the area's transportation, distribution and logistics sectors. Robins Air Force Base is the area's largest employer, accounting for about 22,500 military and civilian jobs, or about a third of the region's total jobs. The air base will benefit from new high-tech missions within the Advanced Battle Management System. ABMS uses satellite and space-based technologies to coordinate the use of military assets, which will improve the skill level of the area's workforce. High-tech jobs comprise 3% of total employment in the Warner Robins MSA versus 5.3% for the U.S., but the air base's new high-tech missions will boost high-tech employment. Warner Robins' recent economic development success will boost the regional economy. For example, KIHOMAC's new aerospace manufacturing facility in the Robins International Industrial Park is hiring and could add around 75 new full-time manufacturing and engineering jobs. In 2025, Jack Link's new beef jerky plant opened in nearby Perry, with about 150 positions and plans to hire at least 350 more. In 2025, Pratt Industries' new manufacturing facility began to produce corrugated boxes from recycled containerboard, creating around 125 jobs. Warner Robins' manufacturing sector will benefit from the build-out and fuller operation of these projects. In addition, recent economic development projects in the food processing/production industries should work to Warner Robins' advantage because sales of nondurable goods are less cyclical than sales of durable goods. Higher defense spending will benefit several of the area's defense manufacturers (as well as other defense contractors). It helps that most of the area's manufacturers are focused on production for domestic markets rather than export markets. Housing-related jobs account for 8% of employment in the area compared to 10% of all U.S. jobs, making the area less dependent on housing market conditions. Compared to the nation, Warner Robins' economy is very dependent on domestic markets and not very dependent on export markets. For example, exports account for only 1.1% of the area's GDP. Transportation equipment is the main export. Warner Robins therefore faces limited direct exposure to the trade war or fluctuations in global economic conditions. Warner Robins' proximity to Interstate 75 contributes to its higher-than-average dependence on the hospitality industry. The Museum of Aviation/Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame attracts more than 500,000 visitors annually, and Massee Lane Gardens is another popular destination. The area's hospitality industry is expected to have modest growth in 2026. Demographic trends favor Warner Robins. Population grows faster here than it does for the nation. Net migration is positive with good flows of migrants from metro areas in both Georgia and Florida. Warner Robins' population skews younger than the nation's population, with above average proportions of Generation Z, Millennials and Generation X. That bodes well for economic growth and supports the area's property markets. Foreign migration does not contribute much to the area's population growth. That said, the stricter enforcement of U.S. immigration laws should not be a strong economic headwind for the Warner Robins' MSA. Veterans account for 17.1% of the area's population compared to only 6.1% of the U.S. population. The high concentration of veterans should benefit businesses that cater to their needs. As of mid-2025, Warner Robins' home prices were 66% above their pre-pandemic level. Home prices were up 3% on a year-over-year basis. Due to recent appreciation, the area's single-family homes are over-valued, but favorable demographic trends should prevent a major home price correction. Despite the recent run-up in home prices, homes are more affordable here than in many other U.S. metros. Nonetheless, Georgia Trend will need to see faster growth in high-paying jobs to support additional home price appreciation. Jeffrey Humphreys is Director of the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business.