Dallas plant closure marks end of historic industrial impact

Courtesy Photo | The T-6 Texan, which is known by a variety of designations including the pictured AT-6C, was used to train pilots of the U.S. armed forces and Royal Air Force for more than 30 years. The Texan was originally created at Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant Dallas, which closed last year after 66 years of on-site contract management operations.  

DALLAS, TX, UNITED STATES

08.17.2015

Courtesy Story

Defense Contract Management Agency

DALLAS - As senior acquisition official assigned to Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant Dallas, my 6 p.m. departure from the plant on Feb. 14, 2014, officially closed on-site contract management operations after 66 years.

It was a bitter-sweet final day. As I drove away one last time, I looked back at the facility’s historic buildings, which shrunk away as if they knew their time had passed. They had supported Word War II and Cold War warfighters with innovative armaments; NASA with parts for its space exploration program; and the Department of Defense acquisition enterprise. I felt a sadness only captured by conclusion, but after more than six decades of continuous government service and thousands of acquisition employees, I felt very proud I was the very last government official to serve there.

Originating in simplicity, the plant, commonly referred to as NWIRP Dallas, was first named Plancor No. 25 in 1941. It began as an aerospace manufacturing complex constructed as part of the World War II industrial mobilization program. The plant initially consisted of 85 buildings and structures spread out over 153 acres in rural Dallas County, near the city limits of both Dallas and Grand Prairie.

An aviation company leased the government-owned contractor-operated plant from 1941 to August 1945, producing nearly 30,000 aircraft for the Army and Navy. The company’s first aircraft in the new facility, the T-6 Texan, was used to train pilots of the U.S. armed forces and Royal Air Force for more than 30 years.

After the Texan’s successful maiden flight, Robert Patterson, the U.S. under secretary of war said, “The super-human job you Texans have accomplished in erecting this great monument to defense is an example for the entire nation. There is new reason to believe that the American aircraft industry can do the unbelievable job expected of it.”

After accomplishing its war time mission of warfighter support, it was closed for two years. In 1947, the government leased part “A” of the plant to an aircraft subassembly company. At this time, the Navy established a naval plant representative office, marking the launch of contract management operations.

Soon a top aircraft production firm relocated from Connecticut occupying part “B” of the plant in April 1948. Interestingly, the company’s move was incentivized by the Pentagon’s program to move aircraft manufacturing operations in-land because of concerns over growing communist aggression.

With the formal announcement of the manufacturer’s move to Dallas, the Texas Employment Commission immediately received a flood of applicants. Approximately 5,000 candidates requested job opportunities, making the company’s move to Dallas one of the most significant physical moves of an American industrial complex in history. Contractor records and plant history tells us it took two years to complete, involving around 50,000 pieces, 27 million pounds of tooling and equipment, and the relocation of some 1,300 employees.

NWIRP Dallas has leased industrial space to eight major defense industrial base tenants during its tenure. The complex now consists of 343 resources on 314.66 acres. Throughout its history, it was different from most Navy-owned GOCO facilities because of the plant’s capability to produce a diverse array of military-related products rather than a few specialized services.

The plant has a complicated but important history that details the vital role it played during World War II and its significance throughout the Cold War. The facility’s history is not simply the story of an industrial plant that supported the warfighter through numerous wars and an arms race. It also directly impacted the rapid growth of Dallas County as well as the aircraft industry throughout North Texas.

That final day was a sad experience. I realize those aging buildings, which were built on the shoulders of American industry and strengthened by its occupants’ unwavering desire to support the warfighter, will soon be demolished. NWIRP Dallas’ impact within the DoD acquisition enterprise will slowly fade, as is the way of the world. The plant’s historically significant contributions will continue on, however, cemented by 70 years of victories and etched in the memories of countless patriots who shifted the North Texas landscape forever.

• Date Taken: 08.17.2015
• Date Posted: 08.17.2015 09:31
• Story ID: 173384
• Location: DALLAS, TX, US