Lockheed Martin relocates to Aguadilla, to add 120 jobs
Gov. García-Padilla tours Lockheed Martin’s new Aguadilla campus.
Puerto Rico government and Lockheed Martin executives on Tuesday officially inaugurated the global security and aerospace company’s new facility in Aguadilla, an expansion that is expected to generate 120 new jobs — which will more than triple the size of its workforce in Puerto Rico over the next three years.
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony Gov. Alejandro García Padilla praised the company for its efforts to expand job growth and strengthen Puerto Rico’s pool of skilled professionals. The newly enhanced operation sits on 44,000 square feet of private property recently vacated by a technology manufacturing company and is helping reactivate economic activity in the area, he said.
This relocation and expansion supports Lockheed Martin’s business operations as one of five global IT service centers that serve approximately 98,000 Lockheed Martin employees around the world. Many of the newly created jobs at the site include junior and senior IT staff, as well as software, SAP and cybersecurity related roles, company officials on hand said, led by Lockheed Martin Vice President and Chief Information Officer Anne Mullins.
“This expansion is evidence of the great trust that this global company has in Puerto Rico and in the capacity of its people,” García-Padilla said.
“Tens of thousands of Lockheed Martin employees depend on the expertise and IT services provided by their colleagues in Aguadilla,” said Mullins. “By expanding our operations in Puerto Rico, we’re building on the success of our talented workforce and providing our employees with opportunities to grow professionally.”
Lockheed Martin has had a presence in Puerto Rico since 2007, when the company began operations in Mayagüez. All 60 employees who previously worked at the former Lockheed Martin site in Mayagüez are now working in the new Aguadilla facilities. In addition, 38 employees have been recently hired in Aguadilla, bringing the total number of employees at the site to 98.
The Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO) is promoting this expansion with job creation and infrastructure incentives up to approximately $1 million.
“We’re pleased with the results that the aerospace cluster strategy is driving to position our island as a major player in this emerging sector. We celebrate the fact that Puerto Rico provides excellent human capital that is highly skilled and knowledgeable in this regulated industry,” said PRIDCO Executive Director Luis Ortiz.
