To bolster its access to its key customers, namely the Defense Department and NASA, ATK [ATK] yesterday said it is relocating its corporate headquarters to Arlington, Va., next month from Minneapolis, Minn.
The move will also give the company’s executive management team closer access to Congress as well as their industry peers, many of which are located in the Washington, D.C., area, such as Lockheed Martin [LMT], General Dynamics [GD], Northrop Grumman [NOC] and the U.S.-based division of Britain’s BAE Systems. Northrop Grumman just completed the move of its headquarters from California to Northern Virginia in August.
The move will include Mark DeYoung, ATK’s president and CEO, and most of his direct reports. ATK already has an office in Arlington where it currently has about 50 employees and will expand it to accommodate the executive management team.
“The relocation of ATK’s headquarters to the Washington, D.C., area will provide our company with opportunities for increased engagement with our customers and Congress, as well as with our aerospace and defense industry peers that are already located in the region,” DeYoung said in a statement.
The Washington area is also seen as a hub for international business, which fits into ATK’s strategy of growing its international sales.
“Expanding our presence and visibility in the Washington area will support our strategy of creating a more global, diversified company,” DeYoung also said.
ATK will continue to maintain a robust corporate presence in Minneapolis with about 210 employees. The nearly $5 billion company has about 2,700 employees in Minnesota. It also has about 3,500 employees in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia located at various operating facilities.
The relocation is expected to be effective as of Oct. 1.