ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) today broke ground on a new, $50 million, 255,000 square foot office facility and announced plans to hire about 1,800 people over the next two years, of which about 500 will be based in Orlando.

Florida Governor Rick Scott said, “I am proud to announce Lockheed Martin is continuing to invest in Florida by creating 500 new jobs as part of their expansion in Orlando. Lockheed Martin is already a major job creator for our state, and our commitment to cutting taxes and making Florida business-friendly is making it easier for this global business to continue to create thousands of opportunities for Florida families.”

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said, “Today’s announcement tells the world that we have a skilled workforce and an economic climate in which high-tech manufacturing and development can succeed. And it tells our local community that we’re building an economy with depth, diversification and opportunity.”

“With this expansion, Lockheed Martin is further solidifying its already robust presence in Florida and supporting our business growth,” said Frank St. John, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control (MFC) executive vice president. “The Research & Development II building underscores our customer commitments to provide the most modern facilities for our talented workforce to produce critical capabilities for the U.S. and allies for years to come.”

Employees working in the new building will support engineering, program management and research and development activities for MFC, which primarily designs, manufactures and supports advanced combat, missile, rocket, manned and unmanned systems for customers including the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA and allied nations.

Employees at Lockheed Martin’s MFC site in Orlando lead the aerospace and defense industry in their experience with technologies related to electro-optics, millimeter wave radar, image and signal processing, advanced materials, electronic packaging and large-system integration.

About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.