(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont is thanking the members of the Connecticut General Assembly who voted today to ratify an agreement his administration recently reached with Lockheed Martin that will keep Sikorsky’s headquarters in Connecticut through 2042, sustain more than 7,000 jobs in the state, and has the potential to bring new helicopter lines to Sikorsky’s Stratford facility.
The legislation is House Bill 5505. It was approved in the House by a vote of 130 to 14, and in the Senate by a vote of 34 to 1. Governor Lamont said he will soon sign it into law.
“I can’t overstate the significance of what this means for Connecticut workers, not only for those who work directly for Sikorsky, but also for the people who are employed by the 242 suppliers located all throughout our state that contract and do business with this worldwide leading aerospace company,” Governor Lamont said. “This agreement will maintain and encourage the growth of thousands of high-tech, good-paying jobs in Connecticut for at least the next two decades. Today’s overwhelming, bipartisan vote to ratify this agreement shows just how much this state values our partnership with Sikorsky. I thank all of the legislators who voted to approve it and I look forward to signing it into law.”
The 20-year agreement negotiated by the Lamont administration ensures that if Lockheed Martin – the parent company of Sikorsky – is successful in securing federal contracts for new helicopter programs that will soon replace several existing programs, the production work on those new lines will occur in Connecticut. In addition, the agreement, which provides the company with performance-based incentives in the form of sales and use tax offsets and tax credits, requires Sikorsky to maintain its headquarters in Connecticut and maintain significant employment through 2042, among other requirements.
Sikorsky has facilities in Stratford, Bridgeport, Shelton, North Haven, and Trumbull, and has 242 suppliers throughout Connecticut.