Governor Rhoden Announces Northrop Grumman As Anchor Tenant in Rapid City Defense Cluster
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden advanced South Dakota’s growing national security industry by announcing support for a new defense cluster with Northrop Grumman as the anchor tenant. You can find a photo from the announcement here.
“National security is South Dakota’s next big industry, and today we’re putting action behind that commitment,” said Governor Rhoden. “When a world-class company like Northrop Grumman chooses to invest in our state, it sends a strong signal to the national security industry about their belief in the opportunities available in South Dakota. Our investment will help us build the infrastructure needed to support that growing national security industry. This is a key step to deliver on our mission to keep our state and nation strong, safe, and free.”
Governor Rhoden announced an investment of $1 million to support a new facility in the Rapid City Innovation District, which will establish a defense cluster in Rapid City. The first anchor tenant at the new facility will be Northrop Grumman, which is the manufacturer of the B-21 Raider. Additional companies will be added to the defense cluster in the future. This is part of Elevate Rapid City’s investment of $18 million in the Rapid City Innovation District to create space for new companies and jobs.
Northrop Grumman manufactures the B-21 Raider, which is the most high-tech bomber aircraft in the world. Northrop Grumman is a leader in the space, aeronautics, defense, and cybersecurity industries, and their mission is to “pioneer technologies at the edge of every frontier to connect, advance, and protect the U.S. and its allies.” Ellsworth Air Force Base in Box Elder will be the first home of the B-21 Raider, and that is estimated to take place next year.
U.S. Senator Mike Rounds, Elevate Rapid City, the South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority, and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development all played instrumental roles in making this expansion possible.
“Northrop Grumman’s presence in the Innovation District is an important step in what we’re building in Rapid City,” said Jack Valentine, president and CEO of Elevate Rapid City. “This investment gives us the infrastructure to bring more defense companies, talent, and opportunities to the region and build on the momentum surrounding Ellsworth.”
This investment complements other national security initiatives Governor Rhoden has created, including the South Dakota Defense Institute and the Governor’s Resilience and Infrastructure Task Force. Together, these efforts are focused on strengthening the state’s defense ecosystem, supporting critical infrastructure, and creating opportunities for greater collaboration between industry, government, and education.
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This represents a genuine strategic vision by the Rhoden Administration. 🇺🇸🇺🇸
This represents a fantastic strategic vision by the Rhoden Administration. 🇺🇸🇺🇸
I too feel it is genuine and fantastic.
Nugget: Amber Hulse, Taylor Rehfeldt, and Heather Baxter have privately floated the idea of running in 2028 if Thune retires. I would expect this hits print during legislative session
Hulse would be amazing. Especially since she was the only person who supported Rhoden when no one else did.
Hulse is completely opportunistic. She would not be a good leader.
Thanks Heather.
Sorry, not Heather. I testified in Pierre last year and she, along with a few others, just didn’t sit right with me based on their behavior. I found it dishonest and off-putting. I guess I felt like I have seen this same dog and pony show. Just my 2 cents.
Hulse put Rhoden on her back and delivered – when Tony was still helping Dusty.
Hopefully Baxter will lose this fall in the General and last will be the last we hear of her.
This Fall?!?! Baxter lost in the primary to Becky Drury!!
Team Rhoden’s use of the word “cluster” is entertaining.
We could feed a lot of kids school lunch with $1 million but instead we’ll use it to build stuff to bomb kids in other countries.
Feed your own kids, deadbeat
Yes anonymous, we could expand school lunch programs and provide low paying service jobs for unskilled workers, to heat up tater tots and wash cafeteria trays.
Or we could provide high paying manufacturing jobs for engineers and mechanics, to build aircraft.
let’s think about this…. for about 5 seconds…
Northrop netted over $4 billion last year and receives billions in federal money. Why do South Dakotans need to pitch in even more?
because we had to compete with other states’ offers I suppose.
What would it cost us to bring the Broncos to Rapid City or the Vikings to Sioux Falls?
So weird that a conservative, free market, “don’t pick winners and losers”, “small government” populace is fine giving millions to private enterprise.
They are now fine with buying ownership in 30+ American companies. Be careful though, we don’t want them to know what that is called when a Government begins to take over and nationalize private enterprise.
Because that is what RSAs Republican Socialists of America do.
Thank you Governor Rhoden!
$1,000,000 is a trivial amount to a company like Northrup Grumman. This isn’t what made the difference for them. They produce the B-21, which is based out of Ellsworth. Northrup was already coming to the Black Hills to oversee their new stealth bomber.