Hadrian

Altimeter Partner Erik Kriessmann sat down with Hadrian Founder and CEO Chris Power on reindustrialization, the defense production gap, and why they believe physical AI is critically important for national security, economic security and could create many more jobs than it replaces. A few takeaways: The skills gap took 40 years to build. Offshored commercial manufacturing, a 63% cut to defense manufacturing jobs, and Cold War era factories still running today. The Virginia and Columbia class submarine programs are now 50 million workforce hours short annually. That is one program. Automation is creating jobs, not replacing them. Close to 100% of Hadrian's factory workforce had never worked in a factory before. Trained in 30 days, coming from hospitality, retail, and nursing, at higher wages, in parts of the country that have not seen this kind of investment in decades. The capital is starting to follow. Utilization rates of 65 to 80% versus an industry baseline of around 10% make the IRR math hard to ignore. The securitization curve may be just getting started. 📽️ from iConnections: https://lnkd.in/g3-DMUVc

Hadrian is adding two senior leaders as we scale AI-powered factories for America’s most critical industries. Caleb Sima has joined as Chief Security Officer. He brings more than 25 years of experience across offensive security, enterprise security, product development, and company building, with leadership roles at Robinhood, Databricks, and Capital One. Wallis Laughrey joins us as Vice President of Munitions. He brings more than two decades of aerospace and defense experience across the U.S. Air Force, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Anduril, and Voyager. As Hadrian continues to build the manufacturing capacity America needs for critical systems, we're adding the leadership depth required to scale with speed and discipline. We’re excited to welcome Caleb and Wallis to the leadership team. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gmvVgB7F

I’m proud to share that Hadrian has joined America Makes as a Platinum member. America Makes brings together industry, government, and academia to advance additive manufacturing and strengthen domestic production capability. For Hadrian, this reflects our commitment to building a more resilient American industrial base — where speed, flexibility, and secure domestic capacity matter most. We’re excited to engage with this community and contribute to the technical progress and partnerships that reinforce U.S. industrial readiness. Looking forward to the work ahead. #AdvancedManufacturing #AdditiveManufacturing #AmericaMakes

Greg Smith is excellent and you should come work for him and with me!

Hadrian was in Mobile this week for the Gulf Coast Defense Industrial Base Workforce Summit, where our VP of Federal, Mike Manazir, spoke alongside industry leaders driving defense manufacturing across the region. The Gulf Coast has been delivering for the Navy for generations, and the work ahead demands we move faster together. Hadrian is focused on accelerating submarine production by expanding who can contribute to it: through on-the-job training in Factories of the Future, new technicians are fully ramped in under a month, so anyone ready to work can contribute to the mission from day one. The Summit made one thing clear: the Gulf Coast isn't waiting around. This is a region that has always delivered, and right now there's a shared urgency to do it faster, better, together. That's the kind of momentum that actually moves the mission forward. It's why Hadrian is here. Hadrian is excited to be part of a community with a history of delivering results, and we're committed to strengthening relationships across the region for the long haul. Many thanks to the Gulf Coast Defense Industrial Base Workforce Summit for inviting us to join the discussion, and to the ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE, Alabama Community College System, and Bishop State Community College for hosting. Finally, a particular thank you to Lindsay Cline of the US Navy Submarine Industrial Base for facilitating a sharp conversation amongst leaders from across the region.

It’s official: Hadrian’s Factory of the Future 4 in Cherokee, Alabama is open. More than 4,000 Alabamians joined us to mark the moment and show what is possible when we build in America again. This is not just a ribbon cutting. It is the start of a new chapter in rebuilding our industrial base alongside the US Navy and national leadership. We also formalized a historic public-private partnership with the Navy: $2.4 billion total, including $1.5B in private capital and $900M in Navy investment. Factory 4 is a 2.2 million sq ft, Physical AI-powered facility designed to mass-produce critical components for Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines. It will help resolve long-standing bottlenecks, create more than 1,000 high-skill jobs in Alabama, and accelerate submarine production at a moment when speed and scale matter. As Secretary of the Navy put it, this is not just another factory. It is a new model of production. Raw material in, integrator-ready hardware out, running continuously. A modern arsenal of American sea power. This project represents a broader effort to revitalize the U.S. maritime industrial base. Leaders across Congress and the state of Alabama made clear that rebuilding shipbuilding capacity, strengthening defense readiness, and expanding economic opportunity all depend on investments like this. Factory 4 is also a major commitment to the Shoals region. It brings high-quality jobs, long-term economic growth, and advanced manufacturing back to a place that is ready to lead. We are deeply grateful to our partners across government, industry, and the local community who made this possible. From state leadership to local economic development teams to our investors and collaborators, this was a collective effort. Factory 4 itself reflects that ambition. Designed with inspiration from the factories that powered the Arsenal of Democracy, it is reimagined for the AI age and the future of submarine production. The work to reindustrialize America is just beginning. It will define whether we lead the next century or fall behind. We are here in Alabama to build.

Proud to announce that we'll be a Black Diamond Sponsor of Toolpath's Machining Summit. We’re in because we respect the people who make impossible parts look routine, and any room where the conversation is about process, quality, and machining execution is one we want to be in. Join us: Mammoth Lakes, April 13–16.