Speeches

Virginia Information Technologies Agency Interim Contract Signing Remarks

James R. O’Neill, Corporate Vice President and President, Northrop Grumman Information Technology, Russell County, Va., Nov. 14, 2005

The following remarks were delivered in conjunction with the signing of the commonwealth of Virginia’s interim Virginia Information Technologies Agency contract.

It is a pleasure to be here today with Governor Warner, Jim McGuirk, Senators Wampler and Puckett, Becky Coleman from Congressman Boucher’s office, Delegate Phillips, and all of the local officials and representatives here.

I thank you all for your leadership and vision in creating this opportunity for the commonwealth and the people of this region, and for allowing us to share in that opportunity.

Our presence today symbolizes both the strong partnership between Northrop Grumman and the commonwealth, and our mutual commitment to the future of Southwest Virginia.

Northrop Grumman is proud to be part of the future of Southwest Virginia, bringing jobs and investment to this great region. This new center in Russell County is part of our overall plan to make Virginia the East Coast technology hub for Northrop Grumman.

Technology plays a huge role throughout our company’s operations around the country. All our business sectors depend on it. That is why this facility will be so important to Northrop Grumman’s operations across the country.

We already have a significant presence in Virginia. Three of our seven operating sectors, including the Information Technology sector that I head, are based right here in Virginia. With 32,000 employees, we are the largest technology and manufacturing employer in the commonwealth. And we plan to continue to expand our footprint here.

Part of our future growth is related to the information technology work we’re going to be doing for the commonwealth. But that represents just one part of our investment in this region.

The new service delivery hub will provide enterprise security, network operations management, data backup and recovery, and help desk services.

This range of functions will provide the people we hire locally with numerous options for professional growth. We will be able to offer people in this area careers with Northrop Grumman, not just jobs.

As part of this public-private partnership, we will bring innovative ideas to solving the commonwealth ’s IT business problems; deliver access to advanced technologies; provide significant resources for the benefit of citizens; and deliver expertise and knowledge to bring major projects to completion.

So, why Southwest Virginia? There are a lot of answers to that question.

While many companies are offshoring technology jobs, Northrop Grumman is in fact hiring in Virginia, including the 400 or so jobs right here.

Congressman Rich Boucher first approached us in 2003 about the many advantages of Southwest Virginia. Also that same year, Senator Wampler introduced legislation that allowed Bristol Virginia Utilities to provide telecommunications services and high speed internet services to the area. This recognition and effort established the infrastructure now in place that attracted Northrop Grumman to Southwest Virginia.

We would also like to thank the Tobacco Commission, who helped fund the communications infrastructure and education initiatives in this region. We look to build upon these solid foundations with our new center.

We’re also here because of the high quality of life this region offers. The communities and local governments have made significant investment in education, health care, telecommunications infrastructure, and other amenities so important to companies looking for areas in which to grow.

We’re here because of the impressive education institutions, from the local public schools and community colleges, to University of Virginia’s College at Wise. There is abundant talent in this area.

I know that with the skilled workers and the great quality of life, coupled with the career opportunities and challenging jobs we will offer, this region will help us attract a high-quality work force to support our operations.

Finally, we’re here to reinforce our commitment to Virginia. We’re glad to provide world-class employment with long-term career paths and excellent benefits. Our employees are our number one priority and we are committed to them.

We are proud to be selected to modernize Virginia’s IT infrastructure, and to be a partner in the commonwealth’s effort to improve services to its citizens.

Thank you.

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