Aerospace company moves headquarters from Puerto Rico to Mesa
Jun 1, 2018, 4:08 AM | Updated: Jun 21, 2018, 2:28 pm
(Photo: MesaNow/City of Mesa)
(Photo: MesaNow/City of Mesa)
PHOENIX — An aerospace company is moving its headquarters from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Mesa, city officials announced Thursday.
AQST Space Systems said it plans to manufacture and assemble rockets for small satellites. The company said it expects to begin production by the end of the year.
“Arizona has been very welcoming and good to us,” said Arnaldo Soto, Jr., Chairman and CEO of AQST.
The company said it has secured space for its headquarters at Mesa’s Falcon Field and plans to acquire additional space for manufacturing operations.
Mayor John Giles said AQST’s decision to relocate to Mesa is a great endorsement for the business-friendly environment and the forward-thinking public investment of the Falcon Field-area.
“AQST is an exciting addition to both Mesa and Arizona’s thriving tech industry,” Giles said.
Sandra Watson, President and chief executive officer of the Arizona Commerce Authority, said they welcome AQST as an exciting contributor to Arizona’s thriving aerospace and defense industry.
“We welcome the innovation and advanced manufacturing jobs AQST brings to our state and are proud we can continue to support this industry with a skilled and educated pipeline of talent,” Watson said.
AQST said it expects to hire up to 125 employees. The workforce would include engineers, welders, technicians, satellite operators, data scientist managers and support staff over the next three years.
