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$1.1B investments in Ohio include Ukrainian drone company coming to Holland

Posted By: Toledo Blade on June 29, 2026.  For more information, please click here to read the source article.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday a series of investment projects across the state, including a drone manufacturing facility planned for Holland.

UDD Tech Corp. expects to create 300 full-time-equivalent positions, generating $18.4 million in new annual payroll by Dec. 31, 2029, the governor said.

The company is “an emerging Ukrainian drone manufacturer recognized for producing first-person view drones for an increasing number of allied countries globally,” the governor’s announcement stated.

“There is no better place than Ohio for our allies to build the technology that strengthens our national defense, and UDD’s decision to invest here means 300 new jobs for the people of Lucas County,” Mr. DeWine said. “This investment strengthens our economy and the manufacturing base that our nation’s security depends on.”

U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo), co-chairman of the Ukraine Caucus in Congress, helped secure the project for northwest Ohio.

“An all-hands-on deck approach won the day after our sustained engagement to attract one of the leading manufacturers of unmanned systems, Ukrainian Defense Drones (UDD) — the U.S. arm of Ukraine’s F-Drones — to start assembly in Northwest Ohio,” she said in a statement.

“UDD is on the cutting edge of drone technology and defense innovation, and its systems are battle-tested on the frontlines of Liberty defending the free people of Ukraine from dictator Vladimir Putin’s merciless invasion,” Ms. Kaptur said.

The bipartisan project came about via Darren Moore, the Ottawa Hills-based CEO of a global logistics company, who coordinated the effort for the region.

“I did this out of my pocket, as a private citizen, to prove a point that when we go out there and find these things, we can win. That’s earth-shattering,” he said.

He said it’s critical that northwest Ohio competes for contracts in the aerospace and defense sector, industries he called even bigger than artificial intelligence.

“If we don’t, everything will end up in Dayton and Columbus,” Mr. Moore said. “This is the equivalent of the glass or auto industry coming to our region in 2026.”

What will be built?

The Lucas County facility will support U.S. and allied demand for first-person-view drones, unmanned systems, training and testing, and dual-use commercial applications, Ms. Kaptur’s office said. The project is structured around production, work force development, supply-chain localization, hardware and software integration, customer demonstrations, and long-term U.S. expansion.

Ukraine’s state-run news agency reported in March that UDD Tech’s F-Drones division — which makes F7 and F10 unmanned aerial vehicles as well as high-speed LITAVR interceptors — would be competing for a Pentagon contract to produce thousands of strike drones.

“F-Drones is one of the largest Ukrainian manufacturers of FPV drones,” the Ukrainian National News Agency said. “At the end of 2025, the F7 drone was recognized as the most effective weapon on the front lines.”

Stas Khutor, CEO of F-Drones, on Monday called the contract historic.

“Becoming the first Ukrainian drone manufacturer authorized by the government of Ukraine to export drone systems to the U.S. military is a historic milestone, and the next step is to share the technology to produce these drones on American soil,” he said in a statement.

“We’re proud to support the vision behind the emerging U.S.-Ukraine drone deal and to help strengthen the security and technological leadership of both our nations,” Mr. Khutor said.

Assembly line work

The F-Drones facility has been operational for about a month at an undisclosed location in Holland, Mr. Moore said.

The company participated in the war department’s Drone Dominance competition at Camp Grayling in Michigan, where 49 companies were invited to show they had the capability to produce drones under the department’s $1 billion plan to buy small, lethal drones over the next two years. UDD was one of 11 companies to win a contract to deliver 2,000 drones in the program’s first phase.

The 20 drones required for the competition were assembled at the Holland facility, Mr. Moore said.

“Last Thursday, Ukraine approved the export permit for the Department of War’s order,” Mr. Moore said. “Essentially they answered the …  order in less than a day. So the entire 2,000 drones were produced in less than a day. Ukraine is so proficient.”

Once the pieces arrive in the United States, “the production line will be here,” he said, adding that Ukraine ramped up its supply chain in order to participate in the program.

“They were buying Chinese parts three years ago and have fully integrated the supply chain here to meet buy blue … that the President mandated,” Mr. Moore said.

Regional partners

Ms. Kaptur’s first meetings with Ukrainian partners about the project were held in early spring. The caucus received briefings on the Ukraine military’s successful drone attacks on Russian airbases last year as well as the need for more drone manufacturing.

“Together with our partners at the Regional Growth Partnership, we welcome UDD’s decision to onshore production in Ohio,” said J.P. Nauseef, president and CEO of JobsOhio. “This investment strengthens America’s defense industrial base, secures critical manufacturing on U.S. soil, and reinforces Ohio’s leadership in advanced aerospace and defense manufacturing.”

Business and economic leaders in the region praised the investment as further proof of Lucas County’s appeal across advanced manufacturing sectors.

“The project underscores Ohio’s growing role as a national platform for hyperscaling advanced manufacturing in support of national security,” John Gibney, spokesman for the Regional Growth Partnership, said in a statement.

“By investing in our assets, strengthening our competitive advantages, and proactively preparing sites for development, Lucas County will continue to attract significant investments that create jobs, grow our tax base and strengthen our community for generations to come,” said Jamie Beier Grant, director of the Lucas County Department of Economic Development.

The six other Ohio companies in Monday’s announcement include expansion, modernization, and other projects for Sam Dong Ohio, Inc., in Delaware; Gerber Poultry in Wayne County’s Sugar Creek Township; Monteferro USA, Inc., in Euclid; Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Co., in Solon; Lonza USA Inc., in Clermont County’s Williamsburg Township; and Techmetals, Inc., in Dayton.

The seven projects are expected to result in more than $84.7 million in new payroll and generate more than $1.1 billion in investments across Ohio, the governor’s office said.