SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Jan. 13, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) broke ground today on its new San Bernardino Missile Engineering Center, located on Hospitality Lane in the Tri-City Corporate Centre.
San Bernardino Mayor Judith Valles joined center director Burt Yamada and other senior Northrop Grumman officials and employees in a patriotic ceremony to initiate construction of the site and emphasize the importance of the center's work in missile defense and intercontinental ballistic missile systems.
"Today's event marks Northrop Grumman's commitment to the San Bernardino area where we have thrived for more than 42 years providing critical support to our nation's defense," said Yamada. "Our new site was chosen with employees in mind, blending superb amenities -- like nearby restaurants and shopping and fitness centers -- with a dynamic office environment all within an ideal location for employees. We're excited about this move and believe it will create a first-class workplace to help retain and attract the best and brightest as we continue to grow in this community."
"I am pleased that Northrop Grumman has decided to stay in the City of San Bernardino," said Valles. "As leaders in technology, they have become a great source of pride to our City."
Northrop Grumman announced in December that it planned to relocate its 225 scientists, engineers, and other professionals to the Tri-City Corporate Centre -- a 153-acre mixed-use development near the junction of Interstates 10 and 215 -- by January 2006. Northrop Grumman's Missile Engineering Center, part of the company's Mission Systems sector, is currently located on East Harry Sheppard Boulevard.
"First as TRW, and now as Northrop Grumman, the company has a long, distinguished history in San Bernardino and we are delighted to see them grow and thrive here in our community," said U.S. Rep. Jerry Lewis, 41st Congressional District, California, and the newly elected chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. "The contributions made daily by this high-tech work force towards a strong national defense and the advancement of space and missile technology are tremendous. I applaud their hard work and dedication and look forward to the company's continued role as a valued member of the San Bernardino business community."
Under a 10-year lease, Northrop Grumman will initially occupy 85,000 sq. feet in the new three-story, high-tech building. The facility, named Brier Corporate Center, will be developed by Glenborough Realty Trust for Rancon Realty Fund V and constructed by OPUS Corporation. Among its features, the building will be wired with a robust communications network and include expansive research and demonstration labs to accommodate the latest software and hardware computer equipment to support the company's U.S. Department of Defense customers. The new facility will allow broader flexibility for company engineers to share domain expertise among multiple Northrop Grumman programs.
As a long-standing participant in the community, Northrop Grumman will continue growing its support through its partnerships with the University of California -- Riverside; the International Council for Systems Engineering (INCOSE), Empire Chapter; the San Bernardino and Redlands Chambers of Commerce; the Assistance League of San Bernardino; the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; Santa Claus Inc.; and other charitable organizations.
Northrop Grumman came to San Bernardino in 1962 when the former TRW, Inc., (acquired by Northrop Grumman in 2002) moved to the area from Los Angeles. The purpose of the move was to co-locate with its customer at Norton Air Force Base to work on the Titan missile and the Minuteman II missile programs. When Norton was closed in 1994, the company temporarily moved off the base while offices were being refurbished by the Inland Valley Development Agency. In February 1996, Northrop Grumman returned to become the first major tenant in the redeveloped former Air Force base.
Today, the company's Missile Engineering Center is a vital center for missile technology development and supports two major government missile programs -- the Minuteman III ICBM modernization program where Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor responsible for maintaining, sustaining, and modernizing the nation's fleet of Minuteman III missiles; and the Kinetic Energy Interceptors program -- a critical boost/ascent-phase missile defense program where Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor developing and testing this capability.
Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, based in Reston, Va., is a global integrator of complex, mission-enabling systems and services for defense, intelligence and civil government markets. The sector's technology leadership and expertise spans areas such as strategic systems, including ICBMs; missile defense; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; command and control; and technical services and training.