A new partnership centered in the Shoals is aiming to bring more defense, maritime and advanced manufacturing production back to the United States.

AE Shoals and IN44OS US LLC announced a strategic joint venture Wednesday that will combine industrial infrastructure in Cherokee with manufacturing technology and operational capabilities to help companies establish, expand and scale domestic production.

The partnership is part of a broader effort to develop an integrated industrial ecosystem in the Muscle Shoals tri-state region while strengthening domestic supply chains supporting national security.

AE Shoals will bring its industrial infrastructure, workforce partnerships and development platform to the venture, while IN44OS will provide manufacturing technology, equipment, workforce development and operational capabilities.

“This partnership is another important step toward building a broader industrial ecosystem in the Shoals tri-state region capable of supporting the needs of our national security and commercial partners,” AE Shoals CEO Chris Emerson said. “By aligning industrial infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, technology, workforce development and execution, we can help accelerate American manufacturing capacity.”

AE Shoals operates the Barton Campus in Cherokee, an industrial site designed to support companies looking to establish or expand U.S. manufacturing operations.

IN44OS CEO Raman Jeet Singh said the partnership is intended to give defense and maritime manufacturers access to the infrastructure, workforce and technology needed to increase production domestically.

“America’s industrial base is a national security asset, and rebuilding it requires places to build, people to build with, and the discipline to execute at production scale,” Singh said.

He said AE Shoals has established that foundation at the Barton Campus and across the region, while IN44OS can add the technology, equipment and operating experience needed to expand manufacturing capacity.

“For the nation’s DIB Primes and their supply chains, our objective is straightforward: more strategic manufacturing done here, by Americans, faster,” Singh said.

The joint venture plans to work with industry, government, workforce and community partners to attract and expand manufacturing operations in the region, strengthen critical domestic supply chains and develop the workforce and infrastructure needed for long-term industrial growth.

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