Lockheed Martin to Expand Ala. Plant

Lockheed Martin recently broke ground on a new cruise missile annex at its Pike County Operations facility in Troy, Ala.

The planned 62,000-square-foot annex will expand the existing 92,000-square-foot manufacturing facility where the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) is produced. The facility also produced test missiles for the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) development program. Construction is slated for completion by the first quarter of 2015.

"Our cruise missile family of systems, in production and in development, plays a critical role in the nation's defense strategy," said Frank St. John, vice president of tactical missiles and combat maneuver systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "With this expansion, we plan to leverage our mature and reliable cruise missile production experience to offer affordable, low-risk, long-term capability to warfighters."

The expansion is expected to increase employment by nearly 10 percent over the next few years. The facility employs approximately 300 full-time employees and more than 100 contractors.

"Lockheed Martin is willing to invest in Pike County because our employees here demonstrate a commitment to quality, excellence and affordability," said Dave Anderson, site director of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control's Pike County Operations.

Pike County Operations has been recognized for its commitment to continuous improvement and performance excellence. In 2012, it received IndustryWeek magazine's "Best Plant" award and the Alabama Performance Excellence Award. It was also a 2012 recipient of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for performance excellence.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 115,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

For more information, visit www.lockheedmartin.com.