Carol Johnson | Southern Indiana Business Report
Indiana’s defense economy pours more than $6 billion into the state’s economy. Activity at Naval Weapons Station Crane is a key contributor, with NSWC Crane contributing $3.6 billion to the state’s GDP. As investments in hypersonics, electromagnetic spectrum operations, autonomous systems (drones) multiply, more and more defense companies are seeking to provide tech and engineering services to Crane’s expansion within their three mission areas. Additionally, Crane Army Ammunition Activity continues to be instrumental in the updating of the nation’s munitions capability.
An organization established to expand community support and advocate for Crane at the local and federal level is playing an important role in fostering connections between defense companies and Crane.
Created in 2020, the Crane Regional Defense Group has seen rapid growth. Its membership has exceeded 100 and the popular Connect 2 Mission (C2M) events have grown from 80 in attendance to more than 400 at an event earlier this year.
Matt Craig, retired from NSWC Crane, former program manager of Crane Community Support for Radius Indiana and editor of the Southern Indiana Defense Report, said CRDG formed after a 2017 Joint Land Use Study identified a need for a community-led organization.
“We envisioned a Crane Chamber of Commerce because chambers advocate for things, they can bring a community together from a business perspective. That organization would be a vehicle to advocate for Crane and the defense community at the state and federal level,” Craig recalled.
Initially the group hosted the Key Leader Series, featuring personnel from the base speaking on various topics; attendance averaged about 50 people. After about a year of discussion with NSWC Crane, new needs were identified and the Connect to Mission concept formed.
The purpose of C2M, Craig said, was to address a challenge of Crane staff to get visibility on what is available from industry and for industry to understand the mission needs of Crane and Crane’s customers.
“What we were hoping was to create a forum where Crane could share their challenges they were facing and where they were going, their plans for contracting and partnering,” Craig said. “And provide industry – small, large, non-defense, businesses that aren’t part of the local economy – an opportunity to engage with them and see if their solutions were a fit for solving any of Crane’s challenges.”
CRDG hosts four C2M events a year at the WestGate@Crane Academy. CRDG members join at different levels. Membership tiers come with an array of benefits, including free admission to C2M events. To date, CRDG has 131 members.
This week, the Team Crane Congressional Breakfast and Reception will bring together about 200 people from the Department of War, academia and industry. The event is a one-of-a kind networking event in the nation’s capital. Event hosts are CRDG, ARI and Indiana’s Congressional delegation; the Indiana Economic Development Corporation is a supporter of the event.
Kent Parisien is president of CRDG and vice president of the WestGate Authority. The WGA owns and operates the WestGate Academy and is responsible for determining the allocation of tax revenues for the technology park.
As the group prepares for the Congressional Breakfast and Reception, Craig, Parisen and Janna Foxx, Crane Regional Defense Group Program Manager and former Acting Director of NSWC Crane, spoke with Southern Indiana Business Report about CRDG’s growth and continued advocacy for Crane.
Did you envision this level of growth and interest in the activities at Crane when the organization was established?
Craig: I didn’t have numbers in my head but I was positive once we started these C2Ms and with the strategic change I was seeing at NSWC Crane to develop big solutions to solve their challenges, that this could get really big. For years and years, engineering services were the primary contract type companies expected from NSWC Crane. There wasn’t a lot of research, prototyping or manufacturing contracting expected. It wasn’t until they started using Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) and started engaging on microelectronics that the dynamic shifted.
Parisien: I did envision this level of interest, but I didn’t anticipate this quickly. Because of the expansion of Crane and WestGate, I knew the interest would be on the uptick. Early development in CRDG was putting companies, and in particular small businesses, in connection with Crane. It was a missing piece of the puzzle for them.
The Crane of today and the Crane of tomorrow are not the same Crane of 10 years ago. For instance, hypersonics testing has become a leading priority. All these evolving missions and advances – is that part of what is driving this interest from defense companies to learn about opportunities with the base?
Craig: The evolving missions of the Fleet and Crane’s National roles to harvest the evolving technologies to address the challenges the Fleet faces are what’s driving this interest. As those evolutions are occurring, Crane has the opportunity to share and lead the solution development.
Parisien: Hypersonics is one avenue, unmanned vehicles is another. With the state of Indiana being pointed out in the drone world as being a leader in that environment and Crane taking a role in that development, that’s another area that is gaining traction. The radiation hardening facility going in at the WestGate Tech Park is also adding to the momentum.
What other factors are fueling the growth of CRDG?
Parisien: I’ve been around WestGate since its inception, and in the beginning it was getting that big university to hang their hat here and once that happened, three or four buildings were constructed, and then COVID had an effect. I think now, with the administration we have and the local ties we have on the federal government side of things, that helps the WestGate Tech Park and, in turn, helps CRDG. Bringing C2M outside the gate was a big change and a big assist to CRDG. That couldn’t have been done without Matt Craig and Janna Foxx. They were big proponents of bringing C2M out and Janna needs to be commended for that.
The CRDG Congressional Reception is coming up. How has that advanced the mission of CRDG and secured resources for the base? Also, has the reception changed how Congress sees the value of Crane?
Parisien: The benefit of that event is connections. What I hear year in, year out is ‘I love that event because I get to make connections with, or meet someone in person I’ve talked to on the phone.’ The Congressional Reception also shows our elected officials what the Crane community is about. A lot of times, they send their staff to our events. By having this event in the nation’s capital, it allows our members to meet with our elected officials one on one and tell them what’s affecting Crane and our region. Usually we meet with the leadership of the US Navy to let them know what we’d like to advocate for. The event has grown substantially year after year and has been a great way to recruit potential Crane customers.
Who are the members of CRDG? Is it big companies, tech companies? Talk about the variety of companies and groups that attend C2M events.
Craig: It does surprise me the distance some smaller companies will come. It’s become pretty routine to get companies up and down the West Coast attending. That is a measure that shows that it’s worth the time and expense to leave the West Coast and come to the Midwest to understand what’s happening at Crane.
Foxx: The overall make-up of the membership consists of major defense contractors, small business defense contractors, non-traditional companies (those who do not normally do business with the DoW), local businesses, banks, economic development groups, etc.
Organizations affiliated with cities and counties surrounding the base are involved with CRDG. How do they benefit?
Craig: Depending on how forward leaning the community leaders are, they’re going to learn what’s ahead in terms of growth opportunities for their communities. Based on the networking they do, they’ll gain insight into those companies and maybe make a connection and engage with them. It’s an opportunity to share things they and the community are doing. A business is thinking about workforce, housing, schools, and they have an opportunity to promote their city, county or town.
Foxx: Some local groups do not expect a direct benefit from CRDG but understand that as Crane benefits so do the communities surrounding the base. These folks are also critical members of our organization.
CRDG has supported efforts to modernize the base, advocate for infrastructure improvements in and around the base and mission growth. Discuss that role.
Parisien: Modernization of a military base is not just a Crane issue, it’s a base issue all over. CRDG is advocating for Crane on a national and state level on infrastructure inside the gates. We are getting momentum but it is a large ticket item. Lots of good things are being said about Crane and we’re talking about different things to enhance things on base. From CRDG’s perspective, we want to continue to build those relationships and make sure everyone is at the table helping to find the way forward.
As far as improvements around the base, a collaboration among Matt and Janna along with Bryant Niehoff, CEO of the Uplands Science and Technology Foundation, and Greg Jones with SIDC also had a hand in helping USTF get an infrastructure package to address wastewater and water needs of WestGate and to remove the Town of Crane from Crane’s wastewater system. It solved an on-base problem and an off-base problem.
When CRDG was engaging state legislators to convey the infrastructure issues, I believe that triggered the mid-Atlantic leadership to pay a little more attention to what Cmdr. (Luis “Homie”) Martinez has been saying and that has led the Navy to address some of the problems he’s talked about.
What’s the future focus for CRDG?
Parisien: As an organization, CRDG’s focus is to balance maintaining what we’ve become and growing what we have. We will continue to add value to our membership and advocate for Crane and the region.
Foxx: CRDG must continue to serve the needs of our members as well as providing opportunities for Crane to engage with potential solution providers (contractors) in a meaningful manner in line with Crane’s overarching guidelines and expectations. This will best be accomplished by continuous engagement with all the stakeholders and a willingness to adapt with changes in requirements.