The short version
- El Nuevo Día reported PRAK Industries is expanding its operation in Aibonito with a nearly $1.2 million private investment at the former House of Hairle plant
- El Vocero reported the total investment of $1,177,056 includes $577,056 for machinery and equipment and $600,000 for infrastructure improvements
- Both outlets reported the project will grow from 62 current employees to 120 jobs with an estimated annual payroll of $1.31 million
- El Nuevo Día reported the DDEC is providing $520,000 in incentives tied to job creation, retention and equipment acquisition
Expansion in Aibonito
PRAK Industries announced an expansion of its manufacturing operations in Aibonito with a private investment of nearly $1.2 million. The company will occupy a 20,000-square-foot facility in the town's industrial park, which previously housed House of Harlie. Operations formally began on Aug. 10, according to El Nuevo Día. The announcement was made on Tuesday by Gov. Jenniffer González Colón, DDEC Secretary Carlos J. Ríos Pierluisi and PRIDCO Executive Director Roberto Lefranc Fortuño, El Vocero reported.
Humberto Zacapa, principal executive of the local SNC Technical Services operation, told reporters this is the company's seventh plant overall. PRAK, whose name combines Puerto Rico and Alaska, has maintained a presence on the island since 2003 and currently operates more than 250,000 square feet of manufacturing space. The company has five plants in Camuy, one in Orocovis and the new Aibonito site, according to El Nuevo Día. The Aibonito facility was already part of PRAK's network of subcontractors for years before the direct operation began.
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Job growth and incentives
Zacapa said the current 62 employees will grow quickly to 120 in 2027, with a long-term objective of 150. The DDEC is supporting the project with $520,000 in incentives directed at the creation of 58 jobs, retention of the existing 62 and acquisition of new equipment, El Nuevo Día reported. Once fully staffed, the annual payroll is estimated at $1.31 million. El Vocero reported the project contemplates the creation and retention of 120 jobs with the same estimated annual payroll of $1.31 million.
The investment breaks down to $577,056 for machinery and equipment and $600,000 for infrastructure improvements, according to El Vocero. The facility is leased from PRIDCO, which will receive $97,599.57 in rent during the contract term. PRIDCO is investing an additional $88,000 in improvements to the fully occupied industrial park, El Nuevo Día and El Vocero reported.
Military manufacturing focus
PRAK Industries, part of Sitnasuak Native Corporation based in Anchorage, Alaska, specializes in contract manufacturing of military and national security items. The Aibonito operation will produce uniforms, jackets, operational dress uniforms (ODU) and other military and commercial products linked to two contracts with the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency, El Vocero reported. El Nuevo Día reported the company is producing snow camouflage uniforms, the first such contract for U.S. Armed Forces due to Arctic operations.
Puerto Rico leads U.S. military uniform manufacturing with 25 operations, more than 12,000 jobs and $270 million in federal contracts, Ríos Pierluisi told El Nuevo Día. The secretary said the island should expand into related areas such as buttons, zippers and fumigation to strengthen its position. The governor highlighted the use of the experienced local workforce in textile manufacturing, while Zacapa noted the company seeks locations where it can be a major employer.
Where the sources differ
The sources largely agree on the project's details but differ on investment figures and some specifics. El Nuevo Día reported a private investment of almost $1.2 million while El Vocero reported a precise total of $1,177,056 broken into $577,056 for machinery/equipment and $600,000 for infrastructure. Both reported the same $1.31 million annual payroll estimate and reference to 120 jobs, but only El Nuevo Día mentioned growth from 62 current employees to 120 in 2027 with a 150 maximum objective, and only that outlet reported the $520,000 in DDEC incentives. El Vocero mentioned projected average annual sales of $32 million for the Aibonito operation, two specific DLA contracts, and that this is one of six textile/defense projects under the current administration, details absent from El Nuevo Día. Both named the same officials and noted the site's prior use by House of Harlie since 1991.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not specify the exact number of new jobs that will be filled in 2026 versus 2027, the current status of the two DLA contracts mentioned by El Vocero, or the timeline for reaching the 150-employee maximum objective. They also do not detail the precise types of new machinery to be acquired, the capacity of the renewable energy system, or any specific training certification timelines or costs. Future steps for additional supply-chain investments proposed by the DDEC secretary are not outlined.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official Inversión de $1.2 millones: PRAK Industries expande la industria de la aguja en Aibonito
- Official Inversión de $1.2 millones: PRAK Industries expande la industria de la aguja en Aibonito
- Reporting Inversión de $1.2 millones: PRAK Industries expande la industria de la aguja en Aibonito
- Reporting PRAK Industries invertirá $1.17 millones en Aibonito para manufactura de uniformes militares
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día and El Vocero both covered the Tuesday announcement by the governor, DDEC secretary and PRIDCO director, with El Nuevo Día providing more detail on Zacapa's comments about plant count, snow camo production and industry geography while El Vocero added sales projections and the count of related administration projects. The precise incentive amount and 150-employee objective rest solely on El Nuevo Día.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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