Training Throughput
6–12 veterans or community trainees per cohort through core training and supervised apprenticeship cycles.
Fabrication & Replicator Hub
Where veterans build the campus, build their skills, and build their future.
Purpose & Strategic Role
The Fabrication & Replicator Hub (“Fab Hub”) is the operational engine of the STX Vets Campus. It is where veterans move from “learning about opportunity” to actually building the systems, structures, and products that power the campus and support the wider community.
The Hub now operates as a two-site model: a clean, on-campus Fab Annex for training and light assembly, and an inland industrial hub for heavy fabrication, staging, and logistics. This separation protects the campus environment while allowing industrial scale and long-term equipment reliability.
Two-Site Model
Annex on Campus · Industrial Hub Inland
A clean, public-facing annex supports training while heavy fabrication runs inland near logistics corridors.
Campus Fab Annex
- Veteran training + instruction bays
- Light assembly and finishing
- 3D printing (non-metal)
- Donor and investor walkthroughs
Inland Industrial Fab Hub
- Container modification + staging
- Heavy CNC, welding, coatings
- Electrical + solar pre-fit
- Logistics yard and expansion space
In practical terms, the Hub combines:
- A veteran-focused training and certification center
- A light-manufacturing and modular construction facility
- An incubator for veteran-owned microenterprises (the “Replicator” program)
The result is a rare combination of humanitarian impact and long-term economic sustainability: the campus is not just providing services to veterans — it is enabling veterans to build and own the tools, housing, and infrastructure of the future.
From Classroom to Shop Floor
Every veteran’s journey through the Fab Hub begins with a personalized intake through our Campus Resilience Center (CRC). Together, we identify interests, aptitudes, and goals — whether that is steady employment, launching a business, or returning to school.
Training then moves into the shop and lab environments, where veterans work on real projects instead of simulations. That might mean assembling modular housing units, installing solar racking, fabricating structural components, or wiring microgrid systems.
Training Focus Areas
- Modular construction and assembly
- Solar installation and microgrid systems
- Electrical and low-voltage wiring basics
- Welding, metalwork, and structural fabrication
- CNC machining and precision cutting
- Digital fabrication and rapid prototyping
- Hydroponics infrastructure and controlled-environment systems
Over time, we plan to align these programs with industry-recognized credentials and partner with agencies such as DOL, VA, and DOD SkillBridge to create clear pathways into long-term careers.
Building the Campus, One Unit at a Time
The Fab Hub is not a theoretical training facility. It is designed to build the campus itself. Veterans will help fabricate and assemble:
- Veteran housing pods and transitional units
- CRC annex spaces and support infrastructure
- On-campus villas and guest accommodations
- Microgrid shelters and equipment housings
- Utility buildings, storage, and maintenance structures
- Fixtures, furnishings, and custom built-ins for shared spaces
In an island environment where materials are expensive and supply chains are fragile, being able to manufacture and assemble on-site is a strategic advantage. It saves money, speeds up build-out, and creates local jobs that cannot be outsourced.
Capacity, Compliance & QA
The numbers below are public-safe targets that guide planning and partner coordination. Final throughput will scale with tooling, staffing, and sponsor support.
Production Cadence
3–6 modular units, container conversions, or prefab kits delivered per quarter, plus rapid-response assets staged for storms.
Veteran Home Pathway
Targeting one veteran-built home per quarter through the Replicator pathway and sweat-equity credits.
Code & Quality Assurance
USVI building codes, NEC standards, and HUD-aligned checklists with inspection sign-off before occupancy.
The Replicator: Veteran-Owned Microenterprises
The “Replicator” model is where the Fab Hub truly becomes transformative. Once veterans have gained experience and confidence in the shop, they have the option to form small, veteran-led teams that operate as microenterprises.
These teams can:
- Produce modular housing, fixtures, or infrastructure components
- Provide solar and microgrid installation services
- Design and build emergency-response units (shelters, mobile power, water systems)
- Develop specialized products to support resilience and recovery in the USVI and beyond
The campus becomes their first customer and their first reference. Over time, successful teams can expand to work with local governments, NGOs, utilities, and private sector partners. The goal is not just employment, but ownership.
Facility Layout & Production Flow
This facility is where veterans train, fabricate, and deploy real infrastructure for the campus and the region.
Blueprint reference for the two-story container perimeter, four-station production line, and climate-controlled central fabrication hall.
A Regional Resilience Resource
Hurricanes and severe weather are a reality in the Caribbean. The Fab Hub is designed so that, after a major event, it can pivot quickly to support recovery:
- Producing emergency shelter units and safe rooms
- Building portable solar power and microgrid components
- Fabricating water purification and sanitation modules
- Repairing or replacing damaged campus infrastructure
This positions the STX Vets Campus as a resilience partner for the broader community – not just in concept, but in actual physical capability.
Sample Recovery Scenario
After a major storm, the Hub can immediately focus its production schedule on:
- Stabilizing power and water for veterans and staff on campus.
- Producing emergency shelters for displaced families and first responders.
- Supporting local agencies with modular infrastructure where existing facilities have been compromised.
Veterans who train here are not only rebuilding their own lives – they are literally helping to rebuild the island.
Fab Hub Annex FAQ
Why split the hub into two sites?
It keeps heavy industrial work away from the residential and therapeutic campus while still giving veterans hands-on training and public-facing demos.
What stays on campus?
Training, light assembly, finishing, and demonstrations that are quiet, clean, and tour-friendly.
What happens inland?
Heavy fabrication, container modification, welding, coatings, staging, and logistics—all in industrial zoning closer to transport corridors.
How does this help veterans?
Veterans train on campus and then move into higher-skill production work inland, gaining credentials and pathways to ownership.
Facility Layout & Capabilities
The Fab Hub is planned as a flexible, multi-bay facility with a mix of shop space, classrooms, and collaboration areas, including:
- Large-bay modular assembly area
- Welding and metal fabrication shop
- CNC and precision machining lab
- Electrical and solar training yard
- Materials storage and staging yard
- Classrooms and simulation labs
- Co-working and design studio space for Replicator teams
As designs mature, this page can be updated with site plans, renderings, and photos of in-progress builds to show the Hub coming to life.
Timeline & Next Milestones
We are sequencing the two-site model so training and production scale in lockstep.
- Site confirmation for inland industrial hub and zoning validation
- Fab Annex build-out on campus (training bays + light assembly)
- Initial production line setup and pilot builds
- Scale-up of inland hub for container modification and staging
- Replicator microenterprise pilots with campus as first customer
Impact & Outcomes
The Fabrication & Replicator Hub is one of the easiest parts of the project to measure in terms of outcomes and return on investment. Over time, we expect to report on:
- Number of veterans trained and certified
- Number of housing units and facilities produced
- Cost savings versus external procurement
- Revenue and contracts generated through Hub activities
- Number of veteran-owned microenterprises launched
- Projects completed in support of regional resilience and disaster recovery
For investors and partners, these metrics provide clear evidence that their support is driving both human outcomes and durable infrastructure.
Partner With the Hub
We are actively seeking partners who want to help shape the future of the Fabrication & Replicator Hub: training providers, equipment manufacturers, technology firms, construction leaders, and organizations focused on resilience and disaster response.
To explore partnership, sponsorship, or pilot program opportunities, please contact our team.
Connect With the STX Vets Team