CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., March 18, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) will officially open a new 25,000-square foot suite today at 995 Research Park Boulevard, where employees will perform systems engineering and intelligence analysis work supporting the U.S. military.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony, which is to be held jointly with the building developer University of Virginia Foundation, will be conducted from noon to 2:00 p.m. The company expects the ceremony to include Kevin T. Sculley, vice president for Northrop Grumman's Integrated Information Systems operating unit; Tim R. Rose, chief executive officer, University of Virginia Foundation; and G. Slaughter Fitz-Hugh, Jr., chairman, University of Virginia Foundation. Virginia delegate Robert G. Bell (R-58th district) is also expected to attend.
Northrop Grumman plans to initially house up to 75 employees in the new suite, consolidated from other locations in the Charlottesville region. Ultimately the facility will hold over 100 employees and sub-contractors.
"Our Charlottesville employees are dedicated to supporting the war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan and the broader war on terrorism through a variety of cutting-edge biometrics and analysis programs that allow the Army to better identify, track and counter terrorists and insurgents," Sculley said. "Northrop Grumman is proud of the citizens of Charlottesville and the quality of employees we've found in this area. The city and state leadership have been very supportive, and we are pleased to have found a home in Charlottesville."
This facility will support Northrop Grumman's work for the U.S. Army National Ground Intelligence Center, which awarded the company a $36.9 million contract to enhance the capabilities of the Biometric Intelligence Resource (BIR) system. This system uses biometric data, such as fingerprints, facial recognition or iris scans to identify and track individuals of interest.
The Northrop Grumman suite is on the fourth floor of the 85,000 square-foot Town Center Three building, the third of six planned facilities in the Town Center District of the University of Virginia Research Park on U.S. 29. The new building is the first in the park specifically designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design guidelines.
The 562-acre research park, located 1.5 miles north of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport, has 3 million square feet of development space.
The University of Virginia Foundation develops research parks as part of its mission to support the university. The research park provides a venue for academic research to work with commercial technology and supports a variety of businesses, from research and development to light manufacturing and knowledge-based commerce, as well as developing connections between the University of Virginia and private enterprise.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.