White River Energetics to Expand Des Arc Facility, Create 100 Jobs

(White River Energetics)

White River Energetics LLC of Des Arc, an ammunition primer and energetics manufacturer, on Friday announced plans for a $70 million expansion.

The company is investing approximately $10 million to grow its existing facility and plans to spend about $60 million to build a single base smokeless propellant factory, according to a news release on the project. The new factory would be built amid a global shortage of smokeless propellant that has affected munitions availability globally.

White River Energetics currently has 14,000 SF of manufacturing space in Des Arc. The expansion will give the company an additional 90,000 SF of space and allow it to scale energetics and primer manufacturing to meet customer demand, as well as develop new products, according to the release.

Construction is underway and expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.

The project is expected to create 100 jobs. White River Energetics, a subsidiary of D&M Holding Co. of Tampa, Florida, currently employs 125 people in Des Arc. In the past year, the company has added 73 workers.

“This smokeless propellant factory will enable us to supply propellant to the global shortage that is affecting munitions availability,” said Dan Powers, president and CEO of D&M Holding Company Inc., said in the release. “We are proud to have chosen Des Arc for this investment and look forward to adding the additional jobs for the community.”

White River Energetics supports a wide range of domestic and international clients in defense and sporting markets. The company’s capabilities include metallics manufacturing, automated primer mix production, and proprietary assembly and packaging cells.

Arkansas arms, ammunition and parts exports soared 167% in 2023 compared with 2022. Last year’s export total was $539 million, up from $202 million the year before.

Exports were $350 million in 2021, and firearms, ammo and parts now make up 8.3% of Arkansas exports, third among all product categories.

“This project hits the sweet spot in Arkansas: the growth of the firearms and ammunition industry led by innovative entrepreneurs, which is resulting new jobs and investment in a rural community,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

The state offered White River Energetics the following incentives for the expansion: the Tax Back program, which provides sales and use tax refunds on the purchase of building materials and taxable machinery; five years of the Create Rebate program, an annual cash rebate based on the number of jobs added by a company and targeted wages; and a Community Development Block Grant of $1.4 million.