Georgia-based Flock Safety launches Smyrna drone facility
Flock Safety, the Georgia-based technology solutions provider, is opening a new manufacturing facility for drones in Smyrna.
On Wednesday, company leaders and state officials gathered in Cobb County for the 97,000-square-foot facility's ribbon-cutting ceremony, where Gov. Brian Kemp and Flock CEO Garrett Langley shared their excitement for the new venture.
'In Georgia, we foster a business environment where innovative companies can get off the ground and grow into leaders in their industry while operating in safe communities,' Kemp said in a statement ahead of the event. 'Flock Safety is a great example of the success that approach has created, and we're proud to celebrate this milestone with them. We look forward to many years of partnership with Flock Safety in their efforts to help keep Georgians safe.'.
At Wednesday's ribbon cutting, Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach heard how Flock plans to hire hundreds of people to work at the new facility.
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The company, founded in 2017 in Georgia, is expected to create 210 new jobs over the next three years. The governor's office said the facility also represents a $10 million investment.
In Smyrna, Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley said 'it's easy to see that drones are the future of law enforcement. They are safer, they are faster, they work 24 hours a day, seven days a week.'
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Flock purchased drone company Aerodome in 2024 before it launched its Drone as First Responder system.
Now, the Smyrna facility will produce the company's public safety tools, which includes the drone technology. It'll also refurbish damaged devices and put together solar panels.
Currently, Flock Safety employs 250 positions in Georgia and 'over 300 law enforcement agencies and 100 businesses in Georgia have deployed Flock Safety's technology to solve and reduce crime.'
'We feel fortunate to have our roots in Georgia, the state that is undisputedly the leader in the American aerospace industry, and are proud to invest further by creating hundreds of advanced manufacturing and aviation jobs locally,' Langley said in a statement. 'Drone as First Responder technology stands to transform emergency response, and these made-in-America, NDAA-compliant drones will have a transformative impact on the local communities we aim to serve.'
Speaking at the ribbon-cutting, Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer spoke about how partnering with Flock has helped stop crime in the county.
Cobb police have seen dramatic drops in motor auto thefts and violent armed robberies, the chief said.
Last week, Channel 2 Action News reported on how Flock technology even helped police find a kidnapping suspect accused of trying to take a child from an Acworth Walmart.
'We caught homicide suspects from metro Atlanta, we seized guns we would have never seized, gang members we would have never taken into custody,' VanHoozer said. 'All for the people of Cobb County.'
Hiring for the facility is already underway, the governor's office said.
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