D&M Holding Company, Inc. (D&M), based in Tampa, FL and Cabot, AR, reported that it is investing $70 million to expand its White River Energetics (WRE) ammunition primer and energetics facility in Des Arc, AR, and build a single-base, smokeless propellant factory.
“Currently, there is a worldwide shortage of smokeless propellant that is affecting munitions availability globally,” said President and CEO Dan Powers of D&M. “This will be the first single-base propellant factory to be built in the United States in over 50 years.”
White River Energetics said in a media release that it has 125 employees at the Des Arc facility, with 73 new employees added in the past year.
The expansion will reportedly create 100 new jobs and increase the Des Arc campus from 14,000 square feet to over 100,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Construction on the expansion is underway and expected to be completed in Q1 2026.
“We are proud of all the people and employees who have worked tirelessly to support WRE and make this happen,” said BJ Rogers, VP of operations at D&M Holding Company, Inc. “Having grown up in Des Arc, I’m personally proud to see the successes that have been made with primers and look forward to continued success in the future production of propellant.”
James Jones, VP of business development at D&M, said this expanded campus “will also provide a facility for R&D and training for our customers for whom we are building factories around the world.”
D&M and WRE said they support domestic and international clients in the defense and sporting markets by developing turnkey factories and manufacturing and distributing energetics for various ammunition types, including primers for small- and large-caliber pistols and rifles.
Images courtesy White River Energetics, LLC
