Northrop Grumman puts on show while opening huge Chandler campus

PHOENIX – Northrop Grumman put on a show Tuesday as the defense technology company opened a massive new campus in Chandler.

The event included skydivers, a ribbon cutting and speeches from the likes of Gov. Doug Ducey.

The 633,000-square-foot complex allows the company to double its Valley workforce to around 2,500 employees and double its manufacturing capacity, Terry Feehan, vice president of safety and mission assurance, told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

“We find Chandler a tremendous partner,” Feehan said. “We find this a great place to recruit and retain people to work for the company, and the partnership between the community and our company is one we take great pride in and we appreciate.”

.@northropgrumman kicking off their ceremony with one of the coolest ways I’ve ever seen a ceremonial ribbion cutting press conference start.
A team of sky divers! @KTAR923 pic.twitter.com/s1rGo9iF6B

— Ali Vetnar (@Ali_Vetnar) November 12, 2019

The new facility is home for the Northrop Grumman’s launch vehicles business, which was formerly Orbital ATK until being bought in 2018.

Feehan said the company’s work supports the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.

“They defend against the enemy postulated threats and actual threats,” he said of the agency, which is part of the Department of Defense. “And to be able to demonstrate that their systems will work, we create targets that represent those enemy threats and therefore they can prove that their systems will work and protect America or protect our deployed soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.”

Phoenix-based contractor Willmeng Construction completed the campus on Price Road south of the Loop 202 Santan Freeway 17 months after breaking ground.

“We were truly working to support a launch schedule,” James Murphy, Willmeng president and CEO, said in a press release.

Ducey touted the strength of Arizona’s economy during his speech.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Ali Vetnar contributed to this report.

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