Once upon a time they made character balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade at a Rockmart plant once owned by Goodyear.

Many decades have gone by since, and so has the role of the workers within the longtime industrial heart of the east side of Polk County as they now make fuel tanks for helicopters, jets and tanks instead.

Just as manufacturing roles have changed within the plant, so has ownership over the years as Goodyear plant went through several ownership changes during the past decades, recently landing on Meggitt and then Parker Meggitt, and finally Parker Meggitt/Hannifin.

SK Capital bought up the aerospace defense contractor who provided a variety of products used to make weaponry alongside commercial offerings (think Satellite dishes on passenger planes providing internet service, for instance.) As of Friday, they spun off the division that included Rockmart’s plant into a new company: Axillion Aerospace.

The carve-out acquisition of the division of Parker-Meggitt/Hannifin for $560 million included the division where Rockmart makes fuel tanks for V-22 Osprey and the M2 Bradley got new branding as the deal was completed this week.

Based on information on the Axillion Aerospace website, the company’s central location will be Rockmart but includes another six manufacturing facilities across several continents.

SK Capital remains the owner of the new spinoff company.

Kevin Vicha was appointed as the new CEO. He was previously in leadership roles at other firms, such as one of Meggitt’s customers Pratt & Whitney.

Most of the work that is completed at the Rockmart facility are products that Axillion provides to larger companies like Lockheed, Boeing and Pratt & Whitney, among others.

No immediate comment was available from the new company officials, but Polk Today has reached out for more.

Rockmart City Manager Stacey Smith said that the news of the new world headquarters being located within the city for the company is a vote of confidence in the growth and the economic sustainability that industries and businesses can find locally.

“We look forward to working with the new leadership at Axillion Aerospace to help them further their goals by calling Rockmart their new home,” she said. “The plant has been an engine for our community over the past decades, and we hope with Axillion choosing to place their global headquarters here locally, that will attract more to consider the same.”

Mayor Sherman Ross was additionally glad to hear the news, and added that it makes Rockmart the headquarters now for two major companies providing products around the globe.

“Rockmart is already home to a world-class company in Miura North America, and now with Axillion Aerospace our leadership in global trade is continuing on a positive upward trend,” Ross said. “We’re very excited about the announcement and the potential for future growth in our community.”

Development Authority of Polk County CEO & President Chris Thomas added his own excitement about the move.

“Polk County values the company’s long-term business commitment to this community, the capital investment and the careers Axillon Aerospace will continue to provide to our citizens,” he said.