Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Remember when? 'Harris Corporation to bring 100 high-tech jobs to Harrisonburg, Va.'

The news that Harris Corporation is closing its Harrisonburg, Va, office made me think about their announcement in 2010 that they would bring 100 jobs to the city....

With Harrisonburg's James Madison University (JMU) School of Integrated Science and Technology (CISAT) cranking out computer-savvy students with each graduating class, the announcement that Harris Corporation will be opening a cyber location offering 100 new high-tech jobs in this central Shenandoah Valley city is good news.

Trading as NYSE:HRS, the Harris Corporation, headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. Employing almost 15,000, nearly 7,000 of those are engineers and scientists who help develop communications products, services, and cyber technology, generating approximately $5 billion in annual revenue. Harris currently employs 1,900 in Lynchburg and Northern Virginia.

The Harrisonburg location will be part of the latest expansion of Harris' Cyber Integrated Solutions, providing customers with an integrated offering of assured infrastructure, managed security, and applications and services delivered as a secure, trusted cyber solution.

This was the latest in jobs announcements made by Governor Bob McDonnell who commented about Harris Corporation's decision to locate in Harrisonburg:

“Harris Corporation already has operations in several other Virginia localities and will further grow its presence with the expansion of its Cyber Integrated Solutions business. The state’s business-friendly climate coupled with the region’s proximity to Harris’ federal customers and the availability of a highly trained cyber workforce were additional deciding factors. We’re pleased Harris Corporation has decided to expand in the Commonwealth.”

Anticipating the move to Harrisonburg, Harris Cyber Integrated Solutions president and general manager Dale Meyerrose observed:

"Cyber is in our DNA, and we have the deep knowledge and experience in a number of vertical markets to both manage and add value to mission-critical systems. Virginia's economic incentives and business climate allow Harris to make this kind of substantial long term investment with confidence. This project will add jobs in the state of Virginia and add value for our customers while improving their cyber capabilities."

As for Harrisonburg and the JMU computer grads, any high-tech jobs are a welcome addition in a job market that often sees them leaving the area to find employment in Northern Virginia, Richmond, and beyond.

My post at the Washington Examiner from July 2010

No comments: