For the past 30 years, Avon Engineered Fabrications in Picayune has provided flexible fabricated solutions to the United States Department of Defense.

Since 1985, AEF, a division of Avon Protection Systems, has manufactured a variety of products from thermoplastic materials and elastomeric composites for both military and commercial use.

Chris Stockstill, value stream manager at AEF, manages the daily operations within the 73,000 square foot manufacturing facility located inside Picayune’s Industrial Park.

Stockstill started his career at AEF in 1989 by buffing rubber at the facility.

“I worked up from there,” Stockstill said. “I love Picayune and the job itself isn’t about the income but about the guys on the floor. Our corporation has been impressed with us because we’ve built a family here. We’re large globally but small in this town.”

Stockstill oversees 42 employees who utilize state-of-the-art mobile presses, wedge welding, dielectric welding equipment and other tools necessary in order to manufacture hovercraft skirts and flexible water and fuel storage tanks for the military, including the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard.

AEF was originally known as “Bell Avon.” Since its inception, the company has held a hovercraft skirt contract with the Navy, which began the company’s military pedigree, according to information provided by the AEF.

Stockstill said the Picayune facility was established in the 1980s after Textron in Louisiana and Avon established a joint venture to manufacture the hovercraft skirt, which AEF specializes in.

The hovercraft skirt is an air-cushioned vehicle used to transport marine forces from the military ship to the shore, Stockstill said.

“The significance of being located in Picayune was that we were 45 minutes away from Textron and away from hurricane surge,” Stockstill said.

The company is currently working with the Navy to develop the “next generation” deep skirt system for the LCAC-100 hovercraft program.

AEF recently manufactured and delivered a deep skirt last month and renewed its contract with the Department of Defense for another five years.

Stockstill said the company values its products and its customers.

“All of us here are committed to the products we build because of the end user, our military guys,” Stockstill said.

AEF not only employs people from the community but works alongside local businesses to manufacture its products.

Stockstill said they plan to expand the facility in the future and hire more employees.

“We have the ability to expand on the acres of property that we have,” Stockstill said.

The facility currently houses numerous departments under one roof, including design, production, shopping, research and development, accounting, engineering, quality control, purchasing and sales.

For more information, visit www.avon-aef.com/our-experience.html or call 601-889-9050.