OpenWorks a global counter-drone, air defence and surveillance technology group is opening its first regional US office and manufacturing plant.
The firm said that it would remain routed in Northumberland and was “steadfast” in growing the business and team in the UK, but would open a regional American office in Virginia with plans to open a manufacturing facility in Detroit.
The new US subsidiary will serve as an expansion of its operations and collaboration with NATO Nations and Allies worldwide.
“We pride ourselves on never forgetting how we started in North East England. The five original founders were friends who came up in the region’s rich engineering and manufacturing sector together and are proud of our heritage and what we’ve learned, and continue to learn, on our home soil,’ said Chris Down, CEO at OpenWorks.
“Our shared passion for engineering excellence is what took us from that small office in Northumberland, all the way to this expansion into the United States. This milestone is not only a point of pride for our company’s growth, but a great show of what the North East’s talent has to offer on the global stage.”
OpenWorks was established more than a decade ago in the back room of a rented office. Not long afterwards, it introduced The SkyWall Patrol, one of the world’s earliest handheld UAS net capture systems that has protected numerous EU heads of state and US Presidents Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Barack Obama.
An early pioneer in the now booming C-UAS (Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems – counter-drone) industry, OpenWorks has now expanded beyond drone net capture devices, and become a leading provider of AI-powered autonomous vision systems – providing ultra high-performance, real-time detection, tracking, identification, and targeting of highly dynamic threats at long range.
These have been deployed at the G7 Summit, World Economic Forum, 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
It said that the US expansion marked “the next, natural step.”
Chris Bigwood has been appointed as the company’s new Executive Vice President, responsible for business development and corporate strategy in North America.
He joins from Clear Align where he was previously Chief Revenue Officer and has close to 30 years’ experience within the defence industry. He will also spearhead the future opening of the production facility in Detroit – which is set to go ahead before the year end.
