Fired Up: Company believes in West Virginia workers

When we talk about West Virginia’s traditional economic pillars, we sometimes forget that our economy started transitioning long before politicians took notice, and that some who are expanding and diversifying now have been good employers here for a long time.

Practically in Maryland, in the middle of the Eastern Panhandle, Rocket Center, W.Va., is home to Northrop Grumman Corp., which is among the state’s largest industrial employers. Wednesday, the company announced it plans to build a new 113,000-square-foot facility for increasing its capacity.

“Our new missile integration facility is a factory of the future, designed to affordably produce high quantities of missiles to meet increasing customer demand,” said Mary Petryszyn, corporate vice president and president, Northrop Grumman Defense Systems. “Northrop Grumman’s investments in manufacturing capacity, digital processes and emerging technologies translates into the rapid deployment of capability into the field.”

In other words, the new facility will mean adding engineering and manufacturing jobs to the region with what the company calls “expanded manufacturing workforce skillsets.” Northrop Grumman says it hopes to have completed the expansion in 2024.

That’s plenty of time for those choosing their career paths for the first time or considering a new one to get the education and training they might need to be part of the company’s growth. It is good to know Northrop Grumman has chosen to invest in West Virginia; and it is even more encouraging to know they will be able to find the workers they need right here, too.