Defense project has public, vets ‘excited’
BARTON— The queue of people clamoring to get into the Hadrian facility on Friday was lined down the sidewalk as members of the public and military veterans alike expressed their enthusiasm on what the development means for the area.
For attendees like Franklin County resident Blake Gray, the potential to get his foot in the door for a higherpaying job was the main motivation for attending Friday’s events.
While there are other higher-paying jobs out there, Gray said most of them reside in locations such as Decatur or Huntsville, whereas the Barton facility provides a chance to work closer to home while bringing home a bigger paycheck.
“Being able to be here for something that’s starting from the ground up and be a part of something like that could be lifechanging,” he said. “There are military bases and contractors and things like that out there, but this is something local where you don’t have to drive an hour or more to get there and that’s big for me.”
Phil Harrod’s company, Quantum Construction Company, built the facility which will house Hadrian’s operations in Barton.
He said work on the building, which was originally slated to be used for railcar production, began in 2008 and was finished in 2009. However, the economic downturn in 2009 ultimately led to the building sitting vacant.
In the years that followed, Harrod said he often found himself driving around the Barton Riverfront Industrial Park looking at the building he helped build sit empty.
Seeing the facility finally being put to use is a long time coming, he said.
“It’s amazing and I really just didn’t want to miss it,” Harrod said. “The demand for what it was originally built for went essentially to nothing. So, it’s very satisfying to see. This is a big deal anywhere, but especially here in northwest Alabama.”
Among those in attendance were members of the Redstone Base of Submarine Veterans, a group based out of Huntsville.
Grady Little said the group decided to make the 90-minute drive to western Colbert County to show their support for their military counterparts and the region.
“We heard this was going to be a submarine facility and it’s just good to see that kind of support for submarine forces in the state of Alabama,” he said. “You just don’t see that a lot.”
Little said while the showing of military support is key, the other opportunities provided by Hadrian’s arrival in Barton excite him.
While he resides in Madison, Little said knowing there is support for the U.S. Navy’s submarine forces across the state brings him a sense of pride.
“Obviously, the economic opportunities and the development in the area will be huge,” Little said. “Hopefully, it brings more jobs and opportunities for people in the area. Sure, I’m from Madison, but it’s good to see the support spread out a little bit.”
