AeroShield Alliance locating headquarters in Mississippi

Magnolia Tribune

AeroShield Alliance locating headquarters in Mississippi

The Alliance said the expansion is an opportunity to expand access to advanced AI technology and workforce development through partnerships with Holmes Community College and local government leaders.

By: Frank Corder

BT Brands, Inc., a merger partner with Aero Velocity Inc., and AeroShield Alliance members are establishing a Mississippi headquarters.

AeroShield Alliance is a collaboration of small businesses with complementary expertise in advanced technology, unmanned systems, ISR operations and workforce development.

BT Brands, Inc. out of North Dakota and Ohio-based Aero Velocity Inc., a drone solutions and technology company, jointly announced a definitive merger agreement to combine in an all stock transaction in September 2025. The combined company is focusing on the development of advanced drone technologies and providing AI-powered solutions in government agency and commercial applications.

The new Mississippi headquarters for AeroShield Alliance will expand its members' footprint in infrastructure technology and position the consortium to scale its public-sector solutions platform.

Deborah Martin, president of AeroShield Alliance and CEO of Alliance member Service Specialists LLC, said in a statement announcing the move that the Alliance's mission "is to deliver better outcomes for government agencies, reduce costs for taxpayers, and streamline procurement by deploying proven emerging technologies across federal, state, and local operations."

According to the announcement, the Alliance said its member firms have collectively secured more than $100 million in government contracts, serving agencies including the U.S. Department of War, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Intelligence Community, and the U.S. Forest Service.

The expansion in Mississippi is expected to accelerate the deployment of the Alliance's and Aero Velocity's AI-driven infrastructure analytics and drone-based data collection capabilities across state and local government markets, while supporting workforce development and enabling broader access to large-scale infrastructure inspection and monitoring opportunities.

The Alliance said the expansion represents a significant opportunity to expand access to advanced technology and workforce development in rural Mississippi through partnerships with Holmes Community College and local government leaders.

Mark Hastings, CEO of Aero Velocity, said a major factor in selecting Mississippi was the strong partnership with Holmes Community College and the Holmes County Board of Supervisors.

"With support from U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker, we are launching the Rural Transportation Resilience Center at Holmes Community College," Hastings said, noting that initial proposed funding for the initiative would deploy the Alliance's AI technology to conduct automated roadway and bridge inspections and condition assessments across more than 70,000 linear miles of county and municipal roads in Mississippi.

The Alliance went on to say that if proposed U.S. Department of Transportation grants are awarded, the initiative is expected to support workforce training for approximately 200 residents and the creation of an additional 100 jobs over three years.