Northrop Grumman decides to move headquarters to Northern Virginia
Northrop Grumman has chosen Northern Virginia as the new home for its global headquarters, ending a heated competition among Virginia, Maryland and the District for the prestige of playing host to the defense contracting giant.
Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell announced the decision Monday in a joint statement with Northrop, describing the selection as a victory for what he called his administration’s commitment to promoting business development.
“To gain the corporate headquarters of one of the largest global security contractors in the world is a testament to the strong business climate that we are focused on continually improving,” said McDonnell …
The statement did not specify a final site for the new headquarters. The company has been considering locations in Fairfax and Arlington.
Northrop is a major government contractor, with $25 billion in contracts, and is one of the region’s largest employers, with roughly 40,000 workers in the Washington area and 120,000 worldwide. In January, Northrop’s newly picked chief executive Wes Bush outlined plans to move the company’s headquarters from Los Angeles to be closer to the U.S. government, a shift that will involve about 300 headquarters staff.
Virginia, Maryland and the District all sought to lure the company to within their borders. The District had proposed a package worth $25 million in tax breaks and grants. Maryland, too, offered incentives, and one state senator in Maryland contended in a letter to Northrop’s chief executive that he should choose Maryland over Virginia because the state is more friendly to gay residents. Northrop Grumman has won awards from gay rights groups for workplace policies.
Bush gave credit to competitive offers from Maryland and the District but said in Monday’s statement that the company’s “final decision was driven largely by facility considerations, proximity to our customers, and overall economics.”
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com
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