From Wartime Roots to a New Era
10/19/2026
CBC USA prepares for initial operations while bringing ammunition manufacturing back to MidAmerica
A new chapter is beginning at MidAmerica Industrial Park on ground with deep ties to the nation's defense history. CBC USA is moving forward with plans to purchase Building 625, prepare equipment and employees for initial operations and advance development of its larger manufacturing campus.
Together, those steps will allow the company to begin part of its operations while planning continues for its larger manufacturing campus.
“As anyone who has taken on a project of this size and complexity knows, the planning, coordination and initial steps are often the most challenging but some of the most important,” said Tim Caldwell, CEO of CBC USA. “We continue to make progress on CBC’s plans at MidAmerica and have taken several key steps that will allow us to begin operations while we move the larger campus project forward.”
The purchase of Building 625 will allow CBC to begin a portion of its operations by the first quarter of 2027. Equipment is already being set in place, and the company has made several key hires in preparation for that work.
The approach allows CBC to build operational momentum as design and construction plans for the main campus continue to evolve. Activity at the site will increase over the coming months as the company installs equipment, prepares facilities and expands its team.
MidAmerica's history gives the project a distinctive full-circle connection. The Park traces its roots to the World War II-era Oklahoma Ordnance Works, and historic black powder bunkers remain visible reminders of the site's original defense mission. Today, CBC's plans are bringing ammunition manufacturing back to MidAmerica.
That connection was visible during MidAmerica's June board retreat, when Park leaders visited one of the historic bunkers. The setting offered a tangible reminder of MidAmerica's origins and the unusual full-circle nature of the project as CBC advances plans for a new generation of American ammunition manufacturing at the Park.
At the same time, CBC is amending plans for its main campus. The company’s revised target for breaking ground is the first quarter of 2027.
“While a project of this scale naturally evolves as planning progresses, we remain committed to the vision for CBC at MidAmerica and are excited to see that vision beginning to take shape,” Caldwell said.
The updated timeline changes the immediate milestone, but not the long-term direction. Building 625, early equipment installation and initial hiring give that vision a visible starting point while connecting MidAmerica's future to its defense-industry history.
A FULL CIRCLE VISIT
MidAmerica leaders saw the Park's past and future meet during the June board retreat.
MidAmerica Industrial Park's June board meeting included the organization's annual retreat, giving trustees an opportunity to tour the Park and see current progress firsthand. One stop brought the group to a World War II-era black powder bunker.
The visit underscored a remarkable connection between MidAmerica's beginnings and its next era. The bunker reflects the site's original defense mission, while CBC USA's plans are bringing ammunition manufacturing back to the Park.