Raytheon to Build New Alabama Plant, Add 300 Jobs at Arsenal
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley announced from overseas that Raytheon Company (Waltham, MA ) is bringing a new facility and 300 new jobs to Redstone Arsenal.
From the Farnborough International Air Show in the United Kingdom, Riley announced that Raytheon will build a missile production facility at Redstone. Groundbreaking is expected later this year, with construction of the facility taking part in two phases.
“This new Raytheon factory means more jobs for Alabama and is a clear demonstration of Raytheon’s strong partnership with the state,” Riley said in a statement. “This is a big win for Alabama, not only because of the high-paying jobs this project brings, but also because aerospace is such an important growth industry for the future. Raytheon and aerospace continue to be important pieces of Alabama’s economic picture.”
When completed, the new production facility will provide final assembly and testing for Standard Missile-3 and Standard Missile-6. SM-3 production is expected to increase substantially in the next ten years, and SM-6 production is expected to begin in 2010.
The governor’s release says the average annual base wage at the new facility will be $60,000.
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle applauded the announcement. “Raytheon is one of the jewels of our community and is exactly the type of company we seek to attract and grow here in Huntsville. It is a perfect fit for our city, our community and our state, with great defense jobs that offer high wages and opportunity for growth,” said Mayor Battle. “Thanks in part to the strength of Redstone Arsenal, where this effort will be based, and our Cummings Research Park the 2nd largest research park in the United States, Raytheon’s expansion represents the way we want to see this sector develop.”
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