New GPO Plant to Produce Passport Books

The Government Printing Office (GPO) has been given approval by Congress to establish a secure production facility on the grounds of the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. GPO employees will produce blank passport books at the new location, which will help meet rising passport demand.

This facility also meets the Department of State’s request for a secure production site for blank passports outside of Washington D.C. More than 50 government jobs will be created in the Gulf coast region. The production facility is expected to be operational this spring. The Stennis Space Center is NASA’s primary center for rocket propulsion testing and is located in southern Mississippi, approximately 45 miles west of Biloxi and 45 miles east of New Orleans. Stennis Space Center is a multi-agency center with more than 30 resident agencies. GPO will renovate about 80 thousand square feet of space for passport production in a vacant building. The Army Corps of Engineers will serve as the construction manager and oversee the renovations.