D&M Holding Company, Inc. (D&M), which bills itself as a complete solutions provider for ammunition, primer and propellant manufacturing facilities, and the Ukrainian Defense Industry Joint Stock Company (JSC) are partnering to produce specialty chemicals in the U.S. to address the shortage of propellant used in the production of ammunition for the Ukrainian defense forces.
The agreement was reportedly signed at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome on July 11 by Ukrainian Defense Industry Director General Oleh Huliak and D&M Holding Company CEO Daniel Powers in the presence of Lt. General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg, U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine; Ambassador Julie S. Davis, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to Ukraine; Lynndy Smith, member of Ukrainian Defense Industry JSC Supervisory Board; Oleksandr Kamyshin, Advisor to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; and James Jones, Executive Vice President, D&M Holding Company, Inc. Powers also spoke on a panel for defense manufacturing during the conference.
The single-base propellant made in this new U.S.-based facility will be used for artillery ammunition, including 155mm shells, which are needed by Ukraine in its ongoing defense against Russia.
“We have to gradually move from large-scale procurement to our own production to meet our immediate needs. It is equally important that the company will operate in a safe area. Our cooperation with American arms companies will continue in other areas,” emphasized Huliak.
“This joint venture continues to build upon and further strengthen the relationship between D&M and Ukrainian state-owned enterprises with projects now in both Ukraine and the U.S.,” said Powers.
This news comes after the company, based in Tampa, FL and Cabot, AK, reported in September 2024 that it was investing $70 million to expand its White River Energetics (WRE) ammunition primer and energetics facility in Des Arc, AK, and build a single-base, smokeless propellant factory.
“Currently, there is a worldwide shortage of smokeless propellant that is affecting munitions availability globally,” said D&M’s Powers at the time. “This will be the first single-base propellant factory to be built in the United States in over 50 years.”
Image courtesy D&M Holding Company, Inc.
Seated, front row left to right, Oleh Huliak, Director General, Ukrainian Defense Industry JSC; Daniel Powers, President & CEO, D&M Holding Company, Inc.
Back row, left to right, Lynndy Smith, member of Ukrainian Defense Industry JSC Supervisory Board; Oleksandr Kamyshin, advisor to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; Lt. General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg, Special Envoy for Ukraine; Ambassador Julie S. Davis, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to Ukraine; and James Jones, Executive Vice President, D&M Holding Company, Inc.
