SHIFTING U.S. DEFENSE NEEDS COULD SPELL JOBS FOR JOCO
Proximity to Military Assets and Research Institutions Shape Economic Investment Strategy
Johnston County, N.C. – August 21, 2026. As hostilities in the Persian Gulf and Ukraine highlight a persistently dangerous world, U.S. national security policy is turning to next-generation weapon systems and tactics. The changes could generate historic opportunities for communities to win federal R&D dollars, attract private defense manufacturers and boost supply-chain relationships. As last year’s successful recruitment of Vulcan Elements’ 1,000-worker operations to Benson’s Crosspoint Logistics Center demonstrated, Johnston County’s positioning between Triangle universities and exiting military labor from eastern North Carolina’s military bases offers unique strategic appeal.
And geography may be just the beginning. Steve Hargis, Vice Chairman of the Johnston County Economic Development Advisory Board, believes the county’s extensive inventory of ready industrial sites, its growing workforce and business-oriented leadership also are advantages defense contractors will be seeking. “As the national security terrain shifts, Johnston County has location, land and human assets that come together to position it for job growth and investment attraction,” says Hargis, a retired Brigadier General and graduate of the Army War College. “It’s clear to me that the type of wars our country will fight in the future will be more technology-rich and involve fewer troops on the ground,” he says. “This could add a new dimension to the county’s manufacturing economy.”
Before starting his own construction company in Johnston County, Hargis was a highly decorated officer in the North Carolina Army National Guard, where he built a distinguished career that culminated with his appointment as Deputy Adjutant General, the NCNG’s second in command. He retired from the Guard in 2011, a few years before joining the County’s Advisory Board, a 14-member voluntary panel that guides economic development policy in Johnston County. Hargis is now chairing a task force that will formulate an economic development strategy that embraces changing U.S. national security realities for local job growth.
Hargis’ task force has begun harnessing momentum coming from the state. While defense policy and procurement are done in Washington, D.C., the North Carolina General Assembly has begun doing its part to improve the state’s contracting posture. Earlier this year, state legislators established the National Security Technology & Innovation Caucus, a bipartisan, bicameral panel that has set its sights on enhancing the state’s ability to capture more defense dollars.
With its massive military bases, North Carolina is considered one of the nation’s most defense friendly states, ranking 4th in the U.S. for uniformed military personnel behind California, Virginia and Texas, according to Pentagon data. But despite its renowned research universities, North Carolina barely breaks the Top 20 when it comes to defense-related R&D and testing activities. “North Carolina has world‑class universities, military installations and private‑sector innovators, but those strengths are not currently connected,” says state Senator Jay Chaudhuri, a Wake County Democrat who co-chairs the Caucus. “This caucus will help close that gap and ensure the state is positioned to compete nationally in critical technologies.” The panel is considering possible incentives programs and infrastructure needs, for example.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce also is focused on defense industrial opportunities, with its Office of Science, Technology and Innovation establishing the N.C. Defense Technology Alliance to create dialogue and collaboration. The NC Chamber is providing leadership as well, helping found the N.C. Critical Technologies Alliance, a non-profit organization now forging partnerships among the state’s businesses, research universities and government entities to surface statewide economic development opportunities. Vulcan Elements, which is building out a $1 billion Benson facility and assembling its massive workforce, has a visible role in the Alliance. Jarrett Lane, Vulcan’s Director of Partnerships, co-founded the group. “This is an important moment for North Carolina and for the country,” Lane says. “The states that help defense and dual-use companies grow, scale and innovate can create thousands of high-quality jobs. North Carolina has the assets to compete, but capturing this opportunity will come down to speed, coordination and execution,” Lane says.
The U.S. is already several years into a new wave of investment in national security contracting. “Since 2022, announced aerospace and defense manufacturing investment in the United States has more than doubled. Project counts have nearly tripled,” according to DiDi Caldwell, President and CEO of Global Location Strategies, a site selection consulting firm in Greenville, S.C. Caldwell’s recent report “2026 Best for Places for Aerospace & Defense” offers recommendations to communities hoping to participate. “Aerospace and defense investment is not spreading evenly. It is concentrating in places that have already built the industrial depth, workforce pipeline and infrastructure readiness to support long-term production growth,” Caldwell says.
For Johnston County, the opportunity occurs at the ideal time. Upgrades to I-40 and I-42 are enhancing the County’s already enviable highway network, while last year’s opening of Johnston Community College’s 67,000-sq.-ft. Advanced Manufacturing Training Facility in Four Oaks sets a new standard for industry-focused workforce development. Large, infrastructure-equipped business properties remain available across most of the county.
Nor was last year’s arrival of Vulcan Elements, which has a $1.4 billion partnership with the U.S. government, the first time Johnston County came to the attention of Pentagon planners. In 2020, Johnston was the only North Carolina county considered for the headquarters of the U.S. Space Command, a U.S. Air Force initiative that ultimately went to Colorado. “We were serious contenders for the home of the U.S. Space Command just a few years ago, and even though another location was selected, Johnston County clearly made a positive impression on top decision-makers at the War Department [then the U.S. Department of Defense],” says Chris Johnson, Director of the Johnston County Economic Development Office. “That certainly sets us apart from most of the locations we’re now competing with.”
Johnson believes experienced leadership also gives Johnston County an edge. “Not every community has a retired Brigadier General heading up the charge,” he says. Moreover, the Economic Development Office’s defense industry recruitment efforts are supported by the Johnston County Board of Commissioners. Commissioner April Stephens, a U.S. Army veteran, serves on Hargis’ task force, along with Advisory Board members Adam Caldwell (an incoming County Commissioner), Kevin Dougherty and Donnie Lassiter. “It’s impossible to imagine this crucial effort being in more capable hands,” Johnson says.
The Johnston County Economic Development Office (JCEDO) facilitates value-added interaction between government, education, and the private sector in encouraging and promoting job creation and economic investment in Johnston County. A unit of county government, JCEDO collaborates with local, regional, and statewide partners and allies in providing confidential location assistance to businesses and technical support to the county’s 11 municipalities. Its menu of services includes customized digital mapping, labor and wage analysis, site readiness assistance and incentive packaging.