The new Asia-Pacific office of US defence giant Exelis was officially opened yesterday in Melbourne by Minister for Manufacturing David Hodgett.
According to the media release by the Premier of Victoria, Exelis is one of the United States’ leading defence and aerospace companies and the first top-tier global defence firm to establish its regional office in Victoria.
The new Exelis research and development, product development and systems integration facility — that will be focused on developing technologies for the air traffic management (ATM) industry — was announced last month.
“Having Exelis’ Asia Pacific headquarters in Melbourne significantly enhances Victoria’s position as one of the region’s foremost centres for communications technologies innovation. This new Melbourne office will accommodate Exelis’ increased workload, and includes a purpose-built laboratory facility for research and development, systems integration, product development and testing capabilities for local and export opportunities,” Minister Hodgett said.
“In addition to providing a marketing presence for the greater Exelis group, this office will also focus on developing technologies for the air traffic management (ATM) industry. This project will see key technology systems, engineering and management expertise transferred from the US to Melbourne to support the business expansion.”
With annual revenues of US$4.8 billion and over 40 years of experience, Exelis employs about 17,000 people worldwide. The company have acquired Melbourne-based defence systems company C4i in 2013 to establish its presence in Australia and is on its way to expand that presence in the country and the Asia Pacific.
“Our new St Kilda Road facility in central Melbourne gives us much more room to grow. Indeed, we expect to double our workforce over the coming years. And we’ve plans for future growth underway. They are spurred by the region’s robust engineering talent, growing market opportunities and support from the Victorian Government,” said Peter harrison, CEO for C41 at Exelis.
“We are now ideally placed both geographically and in terms of our overall service offer and product line-up to cater for the growing demands of this region. By working closely with the Victorian Government, Exelis has built a state-of-the-art headquarters; a facility which encompasses research and development, testing and systems integration,” said Chirs Tucker, Vice President for International Government Relations at Exelis.
“Importantly, our new St Kilda Road headquarters provides a base for Exelis’ technical expertise which delivers affordable, mission-critical solutions for global customers.”
