BALTIMORE (AP) - Defense contractor Lockheed Martin’s plans to close a plant in Maryland will mean the end of more than 90 years of company manufacturing at the site.
The Bethesda-based firm announced on Friday it plans to shutter within two years the Middle River plant, which has 465 employees. Workers will get the chance to relocate and to telework, The Baltimore Sun reported.
The Glenn L. Martin Co., a predecessor to Lockheed Martin, began building aircraft in Middle River in 1929. The plant now makes vertical launch systems and other equipment for Navy warships. Middle Creek work will be moved out of state.
“In our ongoing effort to drive down costs for customers and increase efficiency and value, we are consolidating some operations in our Rotary and Mission Systems business to better align employees, technology and facilities to meet customer needs,” the company said.
The Martin company once employed tens of thousands of workers in Middle River. The company made aircraft and bombers during World War II. It merged with American-Marietta Corp. in 1961 to form Martin Marietta, which in turn merged with Lockheed Aircraft in 1995 to create Lockheed Martin. The company employs over 3,100 people in Maryland.
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