10/26/2026
Last Monday’s groundbreaking marked the start of construction on the Pine Bluff Arsenal’s $24 million Access Control Point (ACP), led by The Ross Group Construction Corp. of Tulsa, Okla.
Groundwork for this and other projects at the Pine Bluff Arsenal (PBA) near White Hall began in earnest last year, and while the ACP and Hanwha Defense USA's $2.2 billion mu*****ns campus got the biggest headlines this year, they aren’t the only projects.
In addition to the approximately 600 Army civilians currently working at the Arsenal, the PBA is considering hiring up to 130 new personnel, and Hanwha posted on its website that it expects to hire 400 contractor employees over the next seven years.
Current Ross Group PBA projects include a $22 million waterline project that replaces original waterlines on the south side of the base and adds supply lines and fire hydrants, as well as the ACP project, which may employ as many as 50, and the renovation of an am******on production building, which may employ as many as 40. Ross said. “We’re just getting started.”
His group also worked with Garvar Engineering of Little Rock to design the ACP and waterline projects.
Ross said, “It’s pretty exciting to see all the investment in the Pine Bluff area.”
For the construction, Ross said his company relies on area subcontractors, which in turn are made up of local talent. So their projects are a blend of company personnel and Arkansas skilled workers.
Jeff May, White Hall Mayor-Elect, said, “That’s a win for Jefferson County and the surrounding area. It’s a job creator, which is great, but we also look at the economic multiplier effect all the new jobs will have in Jefferson County. In other words, when an employee gets paid, every dollar of their paycheck rolls over three to seven times. It’s spent at the gas station, grocery store, and more.”
May added, “Although the employment and economic impact is already being felt, all this work is being done in preparation for the Arsenal’s future.”
Special contribution for this article by Deborah Horn.