Choctaw Nation continues to win manufacturing contracts with the Department of Defense.
They were recently awarded a $10.7 million contract to build trailers for the Marines.
The nation will build 500 Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement trailers and water dispensing systems. Choctaw Defense Vice President Keith Briem said they’ve done this kind of work since 2007.
"It puts people to work in McAlester, supports the community and also ensures that we've created jobs for Choctaw Defense and the Choctaw Nation," Briem said.
The MTVRs are built for extreme off-road conditions. Briem said they’ll be used domestically and overseas.
Choctaw Nation is about to start manufacturing ammunition as well.
"We'll be manufacturing projectiles starting in March of next year for Fiocchi Ammunition," Briem said. "And then we'll slowly brand our own ammunition over a phase-in period of about three to four years."
In the seven years Choctaw Defense has had contracts to build off-road trailers for the Marines, it has built nearly 1,700 of them.