Northrop Grumman Breaks Ground On Second Facility in Huntsville Research Park

Event Marks Strong Continued Growth in Local Area


HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Sept. 26, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), one of Huntsville's largest defense contractors, signaled its strong ties to the area today when it broke ground on the second of four buildings that will comprise the company's Huntsville campus at Cummings Research Park.

"Today's ceremony marks Northrop Grumman's firm commitment to grow in Huntsville and to thrive as a business leader and active member of the community," said Dan Montgomery, Northrop Grumman corporate lead executive for Huntsville. "This new high-tech campus will consolidate our presence, optimize operating efficiencies, and provide employees with a superb working environment where they can forge new ground in research and development to help our customers solve problems of national importance."

In addition to Montgomery, the ceremony included remarks by Loretta Spencer, Mayor of Huntsville; Bruce Anderson, Assistant Director, Civil and Military Aerospace, Alabama Development Office, North Alabama Regional Office; Irma Tuder, chair-elect, Huntsville Madison County Chamber of Commerce; Philip Teel, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman's Mission Systems sector; and Kyle Collins, senior vice president, development, Colonial Properties Trust.

Highlighting the event, and building on a theme of patriotism, was a guest appearance by country-western singer Lee Greenwood, best known for his song "God Bless the U.S.A."

Northrop Grumman opened the doors on its first building, a 110,000 square foot, 4-story structure that houses approximately 350 employees in April 2007. The new facility will be a 4-story, 110,000 square foot structure housing about 340 employees who will relocate from three other sites across Huntsville. The building is expected to be complete by first quarter of 2010. In total, this new Cummings Research Park campus will provide offices, laboratories, and state-of-the art integration, research and development facilities.

Northrop Grumman employs more than 1,200 people in the Huntsville area, and 1,330 in Alabama. In addition, approximately 2,400 Alabama residents work at the company's Pascagoula, Miss., shipyards. Huntsville employees support a number of military customers in the region, including U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command; Army Aviation and Missile Command; Army Program Executive Office for Aviation; Army Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space; U.S. Missile Defense Agency; National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and Defense Intelligence Agency.

Northrop Grumman's major programs in Huntsville include Kinetic Energy Interceptors; Ground-based Midcourse Defense Fire Control and Launch Control Equipment software; Extended Area Protection and Survivability Integrated Demonstration (EAPS ID) program ; Phase 1 of the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System program; Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control; Command Post Platform; Longbow Missile and Viper Strike precision munitions; and logistics support to U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal.

In addition, the company established a premier Missile Defense Engineering and Analysis Center and the Huntsville System and Mechanical Engineering Center of Excellence.

Northrop Grumman selected Colonial Properties to develop the new building. Colonial Properties Trust, a real estate investment trust headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., is developing the Cummings Research Park project located off Interstate 565.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.



            

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