CAMDEN — Executive Director of the Ouachita Partnership for Economic Development James Lee Silliman was featured as one of the 250 Most Influential Leaders in a publication by Arkansas Business.
“Silliman has had a hand in planned economic development expansion for Camden totaling nearly $200 million and 500 jobs. Both major announcements came from existing businesses Lockheed Martin and Aerojet Rocketdyne,” the article reads. “Camden continues to be a major hub for aerospace and defense activity in the
state.”
Silliman told the Camden News that the recognition was an honor.
“I’ve said this before, it’s not about me, it’s about we. I’ve just got a good team around me,” he said. “I’m just the pointman for economic development, so I get the recognition I guess, but it’s really about everybody working together as a team.”
Aerojet Rocketdyne has had a presence in Arkansas since 1979 and its current 800-person workforce manufactures 75,000 solid rocket motors annually for programs, including tactical missiles and missile defense, according to the news release. In August of last year, Aerojet Rocketdyne announced plans to further grow the workforce to 900 over the next three years.
In September Lockheed Martin broke ground on a new 70,000 square-foot production facility in support of the company’s $142M investment that will crate 326 new jobs across the site by 2024.
LMCO currently employs around 700 workers in the Camden area.