New Headquarters Building Grand Opening Draws Crowd in El Segundo

Unseasonably warm temperatures greeted more than 50 dignitaries and hundreds of Aerospace employees for the official Grand Opening celebration of the new A9 headquarters building Tuesday, April 21.

Distinguished guests from the Space and Missile Systems Center, the Aerospace board of trustees, elected officials, and Aerospace senior management joined the large celebration and tried to keep cool in the shade and surrounding areas of the A9 entrance.

"This is a very exciting day for all of us at Aerospace and the Space and Missile Systems Center," said Dr. Wanda Austin, president and chief executive officer. "The original plan for A9 began in 2003. It was put on hold due to BRAC [Base Realignment and Closure] and was reinvigorated in 2007, and now it has finally come to fruition."

Lt. Gen. John T. "Tom" Sheridan, commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, took the stage after Austin and stated that the greatest asset of Aerospace is its people and the technical expertise each person brings to the corporation and to the entire national security space mission.

"Since 1960, the people at Aerospace have been an invaluable asset to the Space and Missile Systems Center in helping us achieve our mission to design, deliver, launch, and sustain America's military space capability. You provide the technical backbone to help us fly, fight, and win," Sheridan said.

Austin explained that although the original headquarters building, A1, was at the cutting edge of architectural style, construction techniques, and engineering practices when it opened in 1964, as the years progressed, it did not meet updated earthquake standards. Research into the cost to retrofit the building culminated in the decision to construct a new economically efficient building for about the same price as the cost of the retrofit. As part of the master plan, Aerospace agreed with the city of El Segundo to demolish A1 for much needed parking space. That demolition will take place in fiscal 2010, according to Austin.

Austin thanked Daniel Barbee, general manager, Facilities Division, and his team for delivering the project on time and under budget. She also thanked Swinerton Management and Consulting, the designers, the bankers, the city of El Segundo, and the builders for a job well done. Additionally, she thanked Aerospace employees in Enterprise Information Services, Security and Safety, and Procurement for tending to endless details to accomplish the move of employees into the new building.