A select team from Newport News Shipbuilding gathered last month to mark the NNS opening of the Light Manufacturing Advanced Technology (LMAT) facility, which will increase efficiency across aircraft carrier and submarine programs.

Work that now takes place in Bldg. 5 will move to the new building, located off Commander Shepherd Boulevard in Hampton. That transfer is already underway, with a crew of sheet metal employees now working in the LMAT, constructing ship lockers. When the sheet metal work is completely transferred out of Bldg. 5, it will provide needed space for pipe assembly and other work.

The new building, which is temperature controlled, will also have space for additive manufacturing. Plans call for the purchase of new equipment for the LMAT, which will increase efficiency.

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening, the advance team that is already at LMAT received praise and a pep talk from Brian Fields, vice president of Manufacturing.

“You are the pioneers here,” he said. “This team is going to set the standard for what we can do. As more teams come over here, I want you to be the leaders and show them how it’s done.”