USBTA’s Relocation to Charles County

Energetics-related businesses are moving to the Town of Indian Head in Charles County, Maryland, to be close to the Naval Service Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD), the Navy’s only arsenal and leader in energetics. An especially attractive location since the naval base’s recently announced Modernization Plan, the area has been drawing businesses like the United States Bomb Technician Association (USBTA) for years. With the collaboration and partnerships available here, this close community, recently dubbed the Western Charles County Technology Corridor, is a hot spot for energetics and defense businesses.

Formed in 2016, the USBTA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the domestic bomb technician community through training on emerging technology and is a collaborative community for industry specialists to share resources, ideas, and experiences with government leaders, industry partners, innovators, and educators.

After operating in Denver, Colorado, for six years, the USBTA sought a new location that would efficiently get technology to end-users, save taxpayer dollars, and allow them to become a more influential resource for nationwide leadership. The association chose Indian Head for its new headquarters, a noteworthy 1,780 miles eastward.

Sean Dennis, former Bomb Squad Commander and Co-founder of the USBTA, said, “It was a unique situation for [USBTA] to come to Indian Head because of the NSWC. They do a lot of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), bomb technician-type work, technology development, and training. It made sense for an organization like us to establish ourselves here, right outside of the gate.”

Through access to established resources such as the College of Southern Maryland’s Velocity Center, USBTA can train technicians and collaborate between academia and industry to garner interest in their field and invigorate the already plentiful workforce pipeline in the area. “We’re hiring every day, it seems,” Dennis adds.

“We want to be a part of the innovative energetics renaissance that’s taking place in the 210 [Western Charles County Technology Corridor],” Dennis states. “And, bring in our other EOD partners and industry folks to revitalize the area.”

Already, the collaboration between entities in the corridor has brought encouraging results. The USBTA and NSWC IHD are working to create a USBTA Bomb Disposal Technology and Training Center. The facility will re-envision the process through which life-saving technologies that support the First Responder and EOD community are conceived, developed, manufactured, and procured. The Training Center will be the first in the country to support active-duty EOD warfighters from all military branches and public safety bomb technicians.

Six other companies, including member businesses and base contractors, have co-located with the USBTA in the Maryland Technology Center (MTC), a 30,000 square foot facility that was formerly a grocery store and CVS Pharmacy. They are Applied Research Associates, MithiX Pro, DetectaChem, Med-Eng, Pendar Technologies and ADS Inc.

In December 2023, the USBTA received $550,000 from the Rural Maryland Economic Development Funds to complete the MTC expansion, including the Bomb Disposal Technology and Training Center. They estimate the project will finish in the summer of 2024.

“The USBTA is a valuable asset to the public safety, defense, and energetics brain trust in Indian Head,” says Economic Development Director Kelly Robertson-Slagle. “Already they’ve made meaningful relationships with other industry leaders in the area and are moving the needle forward for all in the EOD and bomb tech field.”

By relocating near Washington, D.C., the USBTA expedited its ability to test, train, and disseminate technology directly to end users. Charles County is a short drive away from other major military institutions, allowing USBTA to deliver resources quickly to public safety and federal government entities and ultimately save taxpayer dollars in the process. The region also offers the USBTA a lower business cost than other D.C. metro areas.

The USBTA's transition has been positive. “The Charles County Economic Development Department, County Commissioners, and the Southern Maryland delegation — everyone within the community has been beyond phenomenal,” states Dennis. “If there was ever an example of working with your state and local officials, this is the place to come; everyone wants to see us succeed. [The USBTA] wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them.”

“Charles County and the USBTA have a mutually beneficial partnership. The wealth of expertise in our community positions their group for growth, and their establishment here creates job opportunities for residents.” Robertson-Slagle adds. “It’s encouraging to see the synergy between the USBTA, defense entities, and the community.”

Robertson-Slagle finishes, “The phrase ‘energetics renaissance’ has been used in relation to the Western Charles County Technology Corridor, and it truly personifies the exciting collaboration we’ve seen in Indian Head. We hope similar businesses join this revolution and continue to grow Indian Head's status as a magnet for energetics entities.”

Watch Sean Dennis’ Interview on the USBTA and their Relocation to Indian Head below.

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