As the manufacturing economy changed in the U.S., industrial manufacturing, including automotive, electrical, electronic, machined parts, and other manufacturing capabilities moved overseas as part of globalization of the economy. Defense industrial capacity diminished particularly when demand declined after 1993, with many industrial facilities placed into long-term storage, while others were repurposed for different uses. Although some have deteriorated over time, and require significant restoration or even demolition, a significant amount of industrial infrastructure and industrial facilities remain underutilized, sometimes requiring only minor renovations or restorals, even as defense manufacturers face a growing shortage of production capacity.
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Arsenal operates as a strategic advisor, partnership builder, and opportunity sourcer. We serve as a facility reactivation partner for defense manufacturers, economic development agencies and offices, and facility owners and industrial real estate owners. We do three things:
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We evaluate each facility to determine its potential as a defense manufacturing facility. Our assessments identify the infrastructure, site conditions, and improvements needed to prepare each facility for production.
We bring together facility owners and industrial real estate owners, defense manufacturers, economic development agencies and offices, capital partners, and specialized restoration partners to build practical partnerships that move projects forward.
We guide each project from initial opportunity identification through stakeholder alignment and into private-sector execution. Throughout the process, we keep projects moving, resolve challenges as they arise, and help ensure momentum is never lost.
Defense Manufacturers & Suppliers Prime contractors, Tier 2-5 suppliers and manufacturers, and government program offices seeking production capacity that offers strategic operational advantages.
Industrial Property Owners Landlords, asset managers, and facility owners and industrial real estate owners with underused buildings and the capital or patience for partnership-based reactivation.
Economic Development Authorities, state and regional economic development organizations, Chambers of Commerce, and local development offices looking to anchor defense manufacturing tenants, from light to heavy industry, R&D, training and education, and that support facility reactivation in your communities.
Specialized restoration, repair, and engineering firms, trades, and other partners who can serve the defense manufacturing reactivation market, including roofing, facility envelopes, HVAC, clean rooms, electrical, lighting, water, and other facility requirements
Investors, capital providers, private equity sponsors, and alternative capital sources seeking exposure to the defense industrial base reactivation and facility modernization opportunity - especially those already invested in manufacturers requiring initial or expanding capacity.
Vast stretches of America’s industrial infrastructure sit dormant while the urgent demand for defense industrial base reactivation continues to grow. These underused assets possess irreplaceable foundations for advanced manufacturing: heavy-steel superstructures, integrated rail logistics, and high-load power systems designed for industrial-scale operations.
This is critical infrastructure that would take years to replicate through greenfield development, yet it remains sidelined while the defense industrial base faces an acute shortage of production space.
Arsenal was not founded to capitalize on a market opportunity. It grew from James Schmeling's 25 years of experience in defense policy, veteran workforce development, and institutional leadership, where he came to see America's industrial capacity shortage as a national security challenge with a practical solution.
An Air Force veteran and organizational leader, James has secured more than $90 million in institutional funding, co-founded the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, and led strategic partnership initiatives at Student Veterans of America.
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