SENATOR MCCORMICK CELEBRATES ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW NDIA CHAPTER IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA) today celebrated the launch of the National Defense Industrial Association's (NDIA) new Erie-Allegheny Chapter, a product of conversations and partnerships cultivated at Senator McCormick's 2026 Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit. NDIA President and CEO the Honorable David Norquist participated in the Summit, helping lay the groundwork for a permanent NDIA presence in Western Pennsylvania and new opportunities for regional defense businesses.

"The 2026 Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit showcased the enormous opportunity we have to reinvigorate America's defense industrial base," said Senator McCormick. "This new NDIA chapter builds on that momentum by accelerating Western Pennsylvania's defense industrial ecosystem, creating new business opportunities, attracting investment, and strengthening our Commonwealth's role in our national defense."

"It's my honor and privilege to launch the new NDIA Erie-Allegheny Chapter alongside
exceptional business leaders in Western Pennsylvania. Western PA and the surrounding tri-state region have tremendous capabilities across defense manufacturing, robotics, energy, aerospace, and maritime," said AJ Lewis, inaugural President of the Erie-Allegheny NDIA Chapter. "By connecting existing resources, identifying opportunities for collaboration, and giving our region a stronger voice in national defense priorities, we can help ensure that Western PA remains an important contributor to our nation's security and defense readiness."

Through NDIA conferences, industry events, and strategic partnerships, the chapter will connect Pennsylvania businesses with new customers and expand opportunities to support the U.S. defense industrial base. It will also help develop a skilled workforce across defense, robotics, energy, aerospace, and maritime (DREAM) industries.

Senator McCormick convened the 2026 Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit in Carlisle in July, bringing together leaders from the defense industry, technology, finance, government, and academia. The Summit generated nearly $10 billion in announced investment supporting more than 5,000 Pennsylvania jobs and cultivated the relationships that contributed to the creation of the Erie-Allegheny Chapter.

The Erie-Allegheny Chapter will serve Western Pennsylvania from the State College region to the state's western border and will also build relationships with neighboring defense and manufacturing communities in Ohio and New York.

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