Reinvestment Act to affect aerospace jobs in Connecticut
Posted on September 3, 2014
Passage of the Connecticut Aerospace Reinvestment Act will affect hundreds of aerospace jobs in Connecticut.
The bill strengthens United Technologies Corporation (UTC)’s commitment to the State of Connecticut, impacting more than 75,000 jobs in the state.
The agreement states that UTC will invest up to $500 million to upgrade and expand its aerospace research, development and manufacturing facilities over the next five years. During the same time period, UTC expects to invest up to $4 billion in research and other capital expenditures in the state. The agreement is expected to have an impact on more than 75,000 jobs in Connecticut.
Under the terms of the agreement, the company will:
Construct a new Pratt & Whitney corporate headquarters, which it will keep in Connecticut for a minimum of 15 years
Construct a new Pratt & Whitney worldwide engineering center of excellence in Connecticut
Keep Sikorsky corporate headquarters in Connecticut for a minimum of 5 years
Create a customer training center at UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS) in Windsor Locks
Build new labs and infrastructure at United Technologies Research Center (UTRC)
Invest in new research projects and capital investments at Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, UTAS and UTRC
“The importance of this deal begins with the thousands of employees at United Technologies and extends to the tens of thousands of people employed by or impacted by the work of companies in the supply chain,” said Governor Malloy. “By getting this commitment from UTC, we are ensuring that Connecticut remains a vibrant part of the aerospace industry, an industry that provides good paying jobs with good benefits for so many. I’m proud of the work we’ve done so far, and look forward to seeing this agreement move on to the next phase – construction.”
“This agreement ensures that Connecticut will remain central to our aerospace research, and home to the headquarters of Pratt & Whitney and Sikorsky for years to come,” said Dr. J. Michael McQuade, UTC Senior Vice President, Science and Technology. “It means UTC’s aerospace businesses will continue to perform cutting-edge research and development in Connecticut – providing exciting new opportunities for top engineering and science graduates from our state’s colleges and universities. Our thousands of local suppliers and the Connecticut economy also will benefit from these significant investments in the future of aerospace in this state.”
