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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Orbital ATK Expands Its Chandler, Arizona Production And Operations Center

12/02/2016
Orbital ATK, one of the world’s leading aerospace and defense technology firms, is expanding the company’s Launch Vehicles Division operations into an additional facility in Chandler, Arizona.

Subject to Chandler City Council approvals, Orbital ATK will be moving into the Allred Park Place along Chandler’s Price Corridor, known for being home to leading edge companies focused on advanced business services, aerospace, life sciences, sustainable and high technology research and manufacturing.

The building will add 46,000 square feet of office space to Orbital ATK’s Launch Vehicles campuses. With additional facilities in Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa, Arizona, Orbital ATK’s total footprint in the state is more than 840,000 square feet, supporting more than 2,000 high-tech and high-paying aerospace and defense jobs and a total payroll of more than $170 million in Arizona.

The additional Orbital ATK facility will help support a projected growth of up to 500 full-time, high-wage jobs over a five-year period. Orbital ATK’s launch vehicle business began in Chandler in the 1980s and has grown to more than 1,200 employees working in Chandler at two locations. The business provides launch vehicles for commercial, civil and government customers.

“Orbital ATK has been a key part of Arizona’s aerospace and defense sector for many years and has helped cement our state’s reputation as a leader in the industry,” said Governor Doug Ducey. “The company’s continued commitment to Chandler speaks volumes about Arizona’s talent pool, business climate and quality of life. ”

“Orbital ATK’s has a 30-year history of designing and building rockets in Chandler, Arizona,” said Rich Straka, Orbital ATK’s Vice President & General Manager of Launch Vehicles Division. “Our launch vehicles deliver commercial and government payloads into orbit, including critical supplies to the crew aboard the International Space Station. We also build missile defense interceptor and target vehicles that are critical to the nation’s security. This cooperative agreement with the state of Arizona and City of Chandler helps ensure we have the room to support those vital programs for our country.”

"Orbital ATK has long been an anchor on the Price Corridor and a vital contributor to Chandler's reputation as the Innovation and Technology Hub of the Southwest. We appreciate the company's continued faith in the City expressed through their selection of Chandler for this expansion project," Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny said. "We have seen a number of Chandler companies expand their workforce this past year and these new, high-level engineering jobs, will have a tremendous impact to the region as Orbital ATK continues its strong investment in Chandler."

“Earlier this year, PwC ranked Arizona number one in the nation in aerospace manufacturing attractiveness,” said Sandra Watson, Arizona Commerce Authority President & CEO. “When an industry leader like Orbital ATK chooses to significantly expand its workforce in Arizona, it reinforces why we earned that ranking. This project will create hundreds of new, high quality jobs and further enhance Arizona’s leadership position in the aerospace, manufacturing and technology sectors.”

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