Global Connections
There are approximately 34,000 KBR employees across the globe. Though we’re separated by miles, we are all connected by our values and shared purpose. In Global Connections, we celebrate our diverse team of teams by highlighting some of the places where we live and work.
This quarter, we’re proud to feature Huntsville, Alabama, USA — home to approximately 1,000 KBR employees and an impressive new office complex.
The Rocket City
Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Huntsville sits just north of the Tennessee River in north central Alabama. Driving down Interstate 565, Huntsville’s rich red clay is juxtaposed against the brightly lit, 363-foot Saturn V rocket, hinting at the remarkable history of the place now known as “The Rocket City.”
Before World War II, Huntsville was known primarily as an agricultural and textile mill powerhouse. But in the 1940s, Huntsville’s trajectory changed drastically when the U.S. government purchased 35,000 acres of land to build Redstone Arsenal, a government installation that would grow into the hub for the U.S. space program, including NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and key military commands like the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command.
Today, Redstone Arsenal is home to over a dozen different commands and tenant organizations, including the Missile Defense Agency, Army Materiel Command, and the Program Executive Offices for Aviation and Missiles and Space. The growth of Huntsville’s aerospace and defense industry, coupled with the need to be close to customers, drove the development of Redstone Gateway, a mixed-use commercial real estate development just outside the main gate of the arsenal where KBR’s new office is located.
KBR’s New Redstone Gateway Office
Huntsville is a strategic growth market for KBR’s Government Solutions U.S. (GS US) business. In 2023, KBR opened an impressive new 150,000-square-foot office complex in Redstone Gateway. The office houses the Missiles Aviation and Ground Systems (MAGS) division of the Defense Systems Engineering business unit, the KBR Operations, Research, and Development (KORD) division of the National Security Solutions business unit, and KBR’s Shared Services group, which provides corporate support for GS US. Growth plans in Huntsville are booming, as both the Science and Space and Readiness and Sustainment business units look to grow their footprint in the area alongside the rest of GS US.
As The Team Behind The Mission®, GS US proximity to KBR’s government customers is invaluable. Building on its 40-year relationship with the U.S. Army at Redstone Arsenal, KBR has subject matter experts who work closely with military and government civilian leaders to provide cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions to some of the toughest challenges facing the U.S. KBR’s Redstone Gateway location was built with sustainability, collaboration and security in mind to do just that. The office includes a conference center and secure facility that allows KBR to collaborate with government customers and industry partners to advance high-tech, mission-critical solutions in support of the U.S. government. The Huntsville office also features cutting-edge, in-house virtual development labs and state-of-the-art DevSecOps prototyping facilities that provide customers easy access to rapid product design, development and delivery of complex modern systems.
Did You Know?
Huntsville has the highest per capita concentration of degreed engineers in the United States, living up to its brand as ASmartPlace®.
Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park is the 2nd largest research park in the U.S. and the 4th largest in the world, housing over 300 companies and 27,000 employees working in aerospace and defense, biotechnology, and other high-tech industries.
Approximately $10 billion of annual federal government spending happens at Redstone Arsenal, leading some to call the Huntsville area “The Pentagon of the South.”
Huntsville routinely earns national accolades for its quality of life, vibrant economy and family-friendly environment, including a top ranking in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Place to Live category.
