Johnston County launches task force to pursue defense industry jobs

After welcoming Vulcan Elements last fall, Johnston County leaders hope to land more defense industry jobs.

SMITHFIELD — As the United States pursues new military technologies and weapons systems, Johnston County leaders hope to bring some of that investment here.

Already, the County has attracted Vulcan Elements, a maker of rare-earth magnets, the kind found in U.S. military missiles and drones. The company is upfitting and expanding a building in Benson’s Crosspoint Logistics Center.

Now the County’s Economic Development Advisory Board has created a task force that will devise a strategy to bring more defense-industry investment to Johnston.

“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,” said Steve Hargis, the task force’s chairman.

“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,” added Hargis, a retired Army National Guard brigadier general and graduate of the Army War College. “This could add a new dimension to the county’s manufacturing economy.”

Johnston County’s strengths are many, Hargis said, noting its proximity to Research Triangle universities and U.S. military bases. The County also has an inventory of ready industrial sites, a growing workforce and business-oriented leadership, he said.

Chris Johnson, head of Johnston’s Economic Development Office, thinks experienced leadership gives the County an edge in attracting defense-industry investment. “Not every community has a retired brigadier general heading up the charge,” he said of Hargis.

Other task force members include County Commissioner April Stephens, a U.S. Army veteran, and Economic Development Advisory Board members Adam Caldwell, Kevin Dougherty and Donnie Lassiter.

“It’s impossible to imagine this crucial effort being in more capable hands,” Johnson said.

Like Johnston County leaders, North Carolina officials also hope to attract defense-industry jobs and investment. Earlier this year, state lawmakers created the National Security Technology & Innovation Caucus, a bipartisan group of state senators and representatives.

“North Carolina has world?class universities, military installations and private?sector innovators, but those strengths are not currently connected,” said state Sen. 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.”

Among other tools, the panel is considering possible incentive programs and infrastructure needs.

Separately, the N.C. Department of Commerce has established the N.C. Defense Technology Alliance, and the N.C. Chamber has created the N.C. Critical Technologies Alliance, a nonprofit whose mission is to forge partnerships among the state’s businesses, research universities and government agencies.

Vulcan Elements has a visible role in the Critical Technologies Alliance. Jarrett Lane, Vulcan’s director of partnerships, co-founded the group. “This is an important moment for North Carolina and for the country,” he said. “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 said.

Page last updated on:  September 14, 2026