Defense contractor brings 400 new jobs to St. Augustine

400 jobs are coming to St. Augustine as a staple in the defense industry is putting down deeper roots in Northeast Florida.

Northrop Grumman has formally dedicated its St. Augustine site as an Aircraft Integration Center of Excellence, one of only two such sites across the US. The designation acknowledges the St. Augustine site’s specialization in manufacturing and opens the door for more specialized work to be funneled to the city.

“We are clearly the most military friendly state, the most veteran friendly state, and we’re becoming the number one state for aircraft manufacturing,” says Florida Governor Rick Scott.

The designation also means resources to encourage innovation and efficiency.

The dedication comes as the St. Augustine site is in the middle of construction on a new 386,000 square foot manufacturing facility and office space, which you can see pictured in the gallery attached to the left.

“Especially in the tight budget times, it’s a testament to the product that they’re producing,” says Congressman Ron DeSantis.

Northrop Grumman says it will also be adding 400 jobs to the existing 1,000 employee workforce in St. Augustine in the next 3-4 years. The company employs 3,400 across Florida.

Construction is slated to complete in early 2015, marking the 35^th year Northrop Grumman has had a St. Augustine workforce.