Ann Arbor defense mobility group opens 7,000 sq. ft. new headquarters

The National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC) has expanded its headquarters in Ann Arbor, strengthening the city's role in Michigan's $30 billion defense industry. The nonprofit NAMC advises the U.S. government in developing and executing ground vehicle systems technologies. The opening of the new 7,000 sq. ft. space at 880 Technology Dr. in the Avis Technology Park opens up more opportunities for NAMC to collaborate with the local tech community.

"One of our main missions is to attract companies that normally wouldn't do work with the government, to work with the government, and make it easier for them," says Alissa Roath, NAMC's CEO. "We value non-traditional defense contractors. They are the small businesses that have the next best idea."

NAMC has had a presence in Ann Arbor since 2008 and some of its founders are from the city. The consortium was awarded the Detroit Arsenal Innovation Other Transaction Agreement from the U.S. Army in 2023. In the last two years NAMC has doubled its staff and experienced increasing demand for its services.

"We want those next best ideas. And we want to make sure all of those ideas are getting wrapped into solutions for our customers, and ultimately, our fighters," Roath says. "We want to know about businesses that are working on anything technological that has to do with autonomy or materials or platforms, powertrains, new fuels, and similar things."

A backlit map, located through the second set of front doors at the new NAMC facility, spotlights where all of NAMC's 500 members are located and various awards they've won. Roath explains that the new headquarters really brings members' reach together in a central focal point. 

The facility's front entrance is most significant to Roath. As visitors walk in, they're greeted by a huge custom wallpaper graphic in the vestibule that shows some of the technology that NAMC helped work on. Depicting autonomous military trucks following each other, the graphic says "Welcome to the Forefront."

"That just says it all. We are on the cutting edge of everything that is happening on the battlefield for the good of our war fighters," Roath says. "We have members across the nation, including Alaska and Hawaii, that all work to give the best technologies to our war fighters in the field."

Jaishree Drepaul is a writer and editor based in Ann Arbor. She can be reached at jaishreeedit@gmail.com.

Photo courtesy of NAMC.