Phil Ammann
Aerospace giant Lockheed Martin Corp. will add another 130 high-paying jobs at its Cape Canaveral facility, providing another boost to the Central Florida high-tech-training sector.
Gov. Rick Scott made the jobs announcement today from France while attending a trade mission at the annual International Paris Airshow.
“We’re here in Paris to make sure aerospace and defense companies from around the world know Florida is the best state in the U.S. for job creation,” Scott said.
The jobs are in support of the U.S. Navy’s submarine-based Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missile program, which is deployed aboard U.S. Navy Ohio-class and U.K. Royal Navy Vanguard-class submarines to deter nuclear aggression. Lockheed Martin is the Navy’s strategic missile prime contractor, employing more than 500 people at its Cape Canaveral Eastern Range Space Systems facility.
“Governor Scott, the State of Florida and the Space Coast Economic Development Commission have provided tremendous support for bringing these jobs to Brevard County,” said Lockheed Martin Space Systems vice president Mathew Joyce, who is in charge of Fleet Ballistic Missile programs. “Ramping up our operations at Cape Canaveral maintains cost-effective support of the program and further improves our responsiveness to the missile testing and deployment needs of U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs.”
As home to one of the nation’s largest defense and homeland security industries, Florida companies are involved in all the main military and government markets, employing more than 12,000 people throughout the state.
“Lockheed Martin’s continued growth in Florida reflects the state’s commitment to the defense and aerospace industries, said Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Jesse Panuccio. “These new jobs on the Cape are great news for the local economy.”
EDC President and CEO Lynda Weatherman added that the new Brevard County jobs would pay an average annual salary of $85,000.
