Dayton T. Brown, Inc. opened its 104,000-square-foot Huntsville Test & Qualification Center at 7401 Pulaski Pike in Toney, Alabama, with a ribbon-cutting on October 22, 2026, and said its first work there will be large-scale rocket motor testing for L3Harris.

Key Details

• Facility: The Dayton T. Brown Huntsville Test & Qualification Center covers 104,000 square feet.
• Location: 7401 Pulaski Pike, Toney, Alabama.
• Opening: DTB held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 22, 2026.
• Anchor customer: L3Harris, with initial work focused on large-scale rocket motor testing in support of Golden Dome requirements, according to DTB.
• Planned additions: Environmental and EMI testing as customer needs evolve, the company said.
• Not disclosed: The investment amount, current employment at the site and any hiring target.

Dayton T. Brown, a testing and engineering company headquartered in Bohemia, New York, said the Toney location puts it closer to Redstone Arsenal and the government, military and industry organizations that make up Huntsville’s aerospace and defense community, according to a company announcement. The facility adds independent hardware testing capacity to a market where L3Harris, its anchor customer, already manufactures solid rocket motor components.

What Will Dayton T. Brown Test in Huntsville?

Dayton T. Brown said the Huntsville Test & Qualification Center will test aerospace and defense hardware during development, qualification and production. Initial work will center on large-scale rocket motor testing in support of Golden Dome requirements for L3Harris, which DTB identified as the facility’s anchor customer. The announcement did not say which L3Harris programs or motors are involved.

Golden Dome is a U.S. missile defense initiative. L3Harris referred to it as “President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome” when the company opened a Huntsville solid rocket motor component plant in August 2025.

Dayton T. Brown plans to add environmental and electromagnetic interference (EMI) testing at the Toney facility as customer needs evolve, according to the announcement. When DTB announced a 10-year lease on the building in January 2026, the company said the site would offer proof, burst, X-ray and structural testing from its first day of operation.

Why Dayton T. Brown Chose the Huntsville Market

Jim Kelly, president of Dayton T. Brown, Inc., said the company came to the area “because Huntsville is at the center of some of our nation’s most important aerospace and defense work.” Kelly added, “Our customers are here, their engineers are here, and their programs are here. We believe DTB should be here with them.”

Kelly said the Huntsville investment reflects the region’s strategic importance and a growing need for testing capacity that keeps pace with production. According to the announcement, testing and qualification have gained importance as the Department of War asks defense contractors to deliver more equipment on faster schedules. Department of War is a secondary name for the Department of Defense adopted by executive order in September 2025.

Kelly described the opening as “the beginning of a broader growth strategy for DTB in North Alabama.” He said the company plans “to build a substantial testing presence here while expanding DTB’s broader portfolio of capabilities and services.” The announcement did not give a timeline, dollar figure or employment target for that growth.

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said the city “has built a strong reputation for engineering excellence, innovation, and advanced technology” and that “DTB’s expertise is a natural fit for our growing aerospace and defense industry.” Madison County Commission Chairman Rex Vaughn said DTB’s “testing and engineering capabilities will be a great support for our local existing companies as they work to bring their products to market.” Invited guests toured the facility after the ceremony, according to the company.

L3Harris and Huntsville’s Solid Rocket Motor Supply Chain

L3Harris Technologies opened its Advanced Manufacturing Facility-South in Huntsville in August 2025. L3Harris said it invested more than $20 million in renovations at the 379,000-square-foot site, which makes inert solid rocket motor components such as nozzles, exit cones, aft closures and cases, and that the expansion added about 40 jobs.

Dayton T. Brown said in January 2026 that its Huntsville testing building sits near L3Harris’ Advanced Manufacturing Facility-North. In April 2026, L3Harris said it had closed a $1 billion investment from the Department of War in its Missile Solutions business, which includes legacy Aerojet Rocketdyne operations, and that the funding would support solid rocket motor production in Camden, Arkansas; Huntsville; and Orange, Virginia.

The Toney opening follows other defense and aerospace facility announcements covered in Huntsville business news this year and last, including Duotech Services’ $4 million defense technology facility, GE Aerospace’s $55 million advanced materials investment and Blue Origin’s Huntsville workforce growth.

Who Is Dayton T. Brown?

Dayton T. Brown, Inc. (DTB) provides testing, engineering, logistics, technical publications and military mission systems work to military, aerospace, defense and commercial customers, according to the company. DTB says it has operated for 75 years. The company lists facilities in Bohemia, New York; Hollywood, Maryland; Merritt Island, Florida, home of its Space Coast Test & Qualification Center; and now Toney, Alabama.

What This Means for North Alabama

The Dayton T. Brown opening adds a commercial testing provider for aerospace and defense hardware to the Huntsville market. Vaughn said the company’s capabilities would support existing local companies bringing products to market. The announcement did not name any North Alabama customer other than L3Harris.

DTB’s October 22 announcement did not disclose a capital investment, the number of employees at the Toney facility, a hiring target or any state or local incentives. The Huntsville Commerce Report will update this article if DTB releases those figures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Dayton T. Brown Huntsville Test & Qualification Center?

The Dayton T. Brown Huntsville Test & Qualification Center is at 7401 Pulaski Pike in Toney, Alabama. The 104,000-square-foot facility held its ribbon-cutting on October 22, 2026. The company said the location gives it closer access to Redstone Arsenal and to the government, military and industry organizations in Huntsville’s aerospace and defense community.

What will Dayton T. Brown test at the Toney facility?

Dayton T. Brown said the Toney facility will test aerospace and defense hardware during development, qualification and production. Initial work will focus on large-scale rocket motor testing in support of Golden Dome requirements for L3Harris. The company said it plans to add environmental and EMI testing as customer needs evolve.

Who is Dayton T. Brown’s anchor customer in Huntsville?

L3Harris is the anchor customer for Dayton T. Brown’s Huntsville Test & Qualification Center, according to DTB. L3Harris manufactures inert solid rocket motor components at its Advanced Manufacturing Facility-South in Huntsville, a 379,000-square-foot site it opened in August 2025 after more than $20 million in renovations.

How many jobs will Dayton T. Brown create in Huntsville?

Dayton T. Brown did not disclose a job count or hiring target for its Huntsville Test & Qualification Center in its October 22, 2026 announcement. When DTB announced the lease in January 2026, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said the company’s testing work “will bring new jobs to the area,” without giving a number.

Dayton T. Brown said environmental and EMI testing will follow rocket motor work at the Toney facility as customer needs evolve. The company has not announced a date for those additions.

More Huntsville defense and aerospace coverage is in The Huntsville Commerce Report’s News archive.