Aerojet Rocketdyne, Inc., a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc., this week announced it would hire up to 800 employees over the next two years as part of an expansion in Huntsville.

The company’s plans will take shape over the next two years, according to a press release from the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce.

Aerojet Rocketdyne plans to consolidate its Sacramento and Vernon, California, and Gainesville, Virginia, sites while centralizing and expanding its existing presence in Huntsville. The expansion will include a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for AR1 engine production, additive manufacturing, composites production and research and development expected to be ready for production in mid-2019.

“Huntsville’s legacy in the development of rocket propulsion systems makes it the ideal choice for Aerojet Rocketdyne’s AR1 rocket engine assembly center and its advanced manufacturing and engineering operations,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “Aerojet Rocketdyne’s decision to base these cutting-edge activities in Huntsville is a powerful endorsement of the capabilities found there.”

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle described the effort as a great example of the city’s effort to diversify Huntsville’s economy with high quality advanced manufacturing.

“ … Aerojet Rocketdyne is here because of Huntsville’s outstanding role in research and defense technology,” he said. “This project works all facets of our economy by marrying R&D with advanced manufacturing. We are both rocket scientists and rocket builders.”