EDO Corp., a defense contractor which buys, sells and manufactures aircraft and marine components, opened a new government systems division at the Salt Lake International Center Thursday.
The division will employ about 25 people to start, but Hank Bandhold, director of manufacturing of EDO Corp.'s government systems division, said the plant should employ 35 people by the end of the year. The new division will handle products such as sonar systems, mine counter measurement systems, shipboard handling systems and air armament systems.The plant, located at 505 N. Neil Armstrong Road, is EDO Corp.'s fourth operation in Salt Lake County. The corporation has operated plants in Salt Lake County for nearly 30 years and employs about 400 people.
Bandhold said the government systems division is headquartered in College Point, N.Y., but company officials have determined the need for an off-site facility.
"For a variety of reasons we chose Salt Lake City. We have some support here already plus the support we got from the state in coming here," Bandhold said.
Lorie Black, national marketing executive of the Utah Department of Community and Economic Development, said the state provided the company information on Utah's demographics and wage and benefit practices and helped develop a custom-fit training program for new employees to be conducted at Salt Lake Community College.
The training program is funded jointly by state and federal Job Training Partnership Act funds.
"I think they're quite pleased with the state in general, the work force and the productivity," Black said.
The new division was built adjacent to the company's fiber science division. The fiber science group makes interior components for aircraft and subway and light-rail systems as well as fuel tanks for helicopters.
EDO also operates electroceramics and acoustics divisions in Salt Lake City. Bandhold said EDO Corp. competes for and fills government contracts, but the corporation also sells its products on the open market.