Southwest Research Institute celebrates first Georgia facility in Warner Robins

WARNER ROBINS – Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) made history at their first-owned office outside of Texas in Warner Robins on Wednesday, Aug. 20. 

The company hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony marking the beginning of a new era for them and the city. City Leadership attended the ceremony, including Mayor LaRhonda Patrick and Councilmember Larry Curtis.

SwRI purchased over eight acres of land three miles from Robins Air Force Base, making it the perfect location for the facility. The building is 33,000 square feet and an $18.5 million facility supporting the United States Air Force.

During the ceremony, Winfield Greene, Director of Advanced Electronic Warfare Department, and other leaders shared their history with the community.

SwRI is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas and first established an office in Warner Robins in 1990. Since then, daily operations, growing staff and increased workload called for a larger building for advanced aerospace and electronic warfare research and development. 

Greene said they then started the journey of looking at real estate, which was not easy. Convincing the SwRI Board of Directors was also not easy for Greene, but finally, they realized they had to make an investment in the community to advance technology. They approved funding for eight acres and construction in January 2024. 

The Warner Robins office has approximately 45 employees who develop advanced aerospace technology and electronic warfare solutions to detect, intercept and thwart enemy radar signals. The facility offers space for technology evaluations previously conducted off-site. The innovations will directly support the mission of the United States Air Force.

SwRI develops custom defense, cybersecurity, radio frequency and signal analysis solutions for advanced homeland security for the United States and U.S. allies. Innovations created in Warner Robins began as internal research and development projects. 

Inside the building features a 70-person conference room, secure conference spaces, purpose-built secure development and test labs, and the ability to host aircraft pods. 

Greene shared that he is pleased and proud of what they have accomplished. He said he is a long time resident of Warner Robins and has seen its dedication to the defense industry. Greene hopes to continue pushing advanced technology.

“Houston County is leading the charge for the advanced technology development to make the center of excellence for advanced technology in the state of Georgia right here in Houston County,” he said.

SwRI was founded in 1947 and has 11 remote offices and leased facilities throughout the country. Their largest remote office is located in Boulder, Colorado, which supports Space Command. The second largest is Warner Robins, and is now the first owned SwRI facility.

“This is the first time ever in the history of the company for them to do this. It’s remarkable,” Greene said. 

Mayor LaRhonda Patrick also spoke during the ceremony, saying this purchase declares SwRI’s long-term commitment to the community. She said the city is stepping into the national and global stage of scientific advancement and believes SwRI will make a positive impact on the local economy and future generations.

“It’s a win for all of us. SwRI’s decision to build here creates jobs, great-paying career jobs. It fosters innovation and supports our local businesses. We love buying local. It positions Warner Robins for advanced research and high-tech talent,” she said.

Patrick thanked SwRI for their investment and entrusting the community with their future.

“Let’s take flight on to a new tomorrow, a new day and a new beginning with SwRI being a part, officially, of the city of Warner Robins and all of the things we stand for,” she said.