Raytheon Technologies [RTX] on Tuesday said it will establish its global headquarters in Northern Virginia, close to many of its government customers in the Washington, D.C., area, a move that follows Boeing’s [BA] decision a month ago to relocate its corporate headquarters to the region.
Raytheon said it will be moving to Rosslyn, an area of Arlington Virginia across the Potomac River from Washington and the same neighborhood as its Intelligence & Space operating segment. The company is currently headquartered in Waltham, Mass., near Boston.
“The location increases agility in supporting U.S. government and commercial aerospace customers and serves to reinforce partnerships that will progress innovative technologies to advance the industry,” Raytheon said. “Washington, D.C., serves as a convenient travel hub for the company’s global customers and employees.”
Boeing in early May said it would be moving its headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, where its defense business is based. Boeing also said it would create a research and technology hub as well in the Washington area.
General Dynamics [GD] and Northrop Grumman [NOC] are also based in Northern Virginia and Lockheed Martin [LMT] is headquartered in Bethesda, Md., adjacent to the beltway around Washington. These three companies combined with Boeing and Raytheon make up the five largest U.S. defense contractors.
Raytheon said that it already employs about 130 corporate staff in Rosslyn and doesn’t expect personnel there to increase significantly with the establishment of the new global headquarters. The company will slightly increase its leased space in Rosslyn.
Raytheon has a substantial operational presence in Massachusetts and will maintain its presence in the state and in Waltham. The company said the new global headquarters won’t impact its employee totals in Massachusetts or Virginia.
In the internet era, combined with the workforce shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, many private and public sector employees and leaders have shifted to a hybrid work model that includes home and traditional offices, and some employees are fully remote, with less frequent office visits.