Shipbuilders live near docks. Likewise, the New York metro area doesn’t offer many prospects to make a living in the space and defense industries. With that in mind, architect turned engineer David Malott and a modest crew eventually left the Big Apple for the Tennessee Valley.

Malott’s architecture practice morphed into an engineering company and he’s now CEO of SpaceFactory, which specializes in 3D printing. In 2018, the business entered NASA’s 3D-Printed Mars Habitat Challenge, which eventually took the team to Florida’s Space Coast to watch a Falcon Heavy launch.

It all eventually led to Huntsville, where the company has launched a program to help locals who might be economically strapped by tariffs.

“We knew we couldn’t stay in the New York area forever,’’ Malott said. “We were there because I was there, and it came time to start thinking about, ‘Where does it really make sense for us to be if we were to pick a place?’ And it was actually the guys at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center who said, ‘You guys should go to Huntsville, because of the manufacturing.’ ’’

SpaceFactory opened in the Rocket City last August, first at the repurposed West Huntsville Elementary. They’ve since relocated to the former Westlawn Middle School, where, on a recent spring day, they awaited the arrival of their first customer through the start-up program.

Their large-scale 3D printing system, capable of building parts up to 4’ x 4’ x 5’, will offer local firms the opportunity to produce cost-competitive components domestically, reducing reliance on overseas suppliers.

SpaceFactory will work with companies across the region to provide design-for-additive-manufacturing (DFAM) guidance and to launch pilot programs covering feasibility studies, printing, and testing—all with minimal upfront investment. This initiative is expected to support projects ranging from manufacturing aids like custom jigs and tooling to rapid prototyping and finished products for diverse consumer and industrial applications.

According to Malott, while SpaceFactory gets its footing, branching out seemed natural.

“For us, it made total sense because you got NASA and we’re still working with NASA,’’ he said. “For now it’s the Moon first, first on Mars. So there’s NASA, but then you get the whole manufacturing base. As a company, we’re space driven in that our ultimate mission is to go to the Moon and Mars, but we have to commercialize and monetize the tech. So it makes sense to work with a manufacturing community.’’

Once the decision was made to transition away from architecture, the team entered NASA’s printed habitat challenge in 2018 and SpaceFactory’s trajectory was set.

“The first phase was a design challenge, so that was kind of a natural thing for architects to pivot into,’’ Malott said. “But then the second phase was a prototyping challenge where you actually had to 3D print the thing that you designed. And that was really transformative.

“So the pull was that NASA centennial challenge. So if you’re not familiar with that, the whole premise of the challenge was first to design and then to 3D print a habitat, which is like a house for a crew of four astronauts, 1,000 square feet.’’

One of NASA’s goals is to create ways to save on launch mass and not have to transport a habitat from Earth on long space flights.

One of SpaceFactory’s employees is Austin Hacker. He grew up in Central Florida practically in the shadow of Kennedy Space Center. He attended the University of Central Florida, about an hour’s drive from NASA’s launch pads on the Atlantic Coast.

“I think there’s a sense of, you know, hope,’’ Hacker said. “I’m pretty fresh out of college. I knew I wanted to work on something that I felt I could walk away with proud, you’re working on something bigger than yourself.’’

For now, Malott hopes word spreads regarding the pilot program that might ease the economic burden of local businesses that might be stressed in the wake of tariffs.

“We’re here to help Huntsville-area businesses explore domestic production,’’ Malott said. “Not only to strengthen their own supply chains, but to enable them to create new products and services that can serve a national market.”

Local businesses interested in learning more can send an email to contact@spacefactory.ai or calling 1-800-901-3952 to schedule a free consultation.