Goodrich Officially Sets Up Shop in Westford

Once known for their ubiquitous B.F Goodrich brand tires, the Goodrich Corporation officially opened their new Westford facility on Tuesday afternoon.

Moving to Technology Park Drive from their previous location in Chelmsford, the facility will integrate approximately 350 employees from Chelmsford and another facility in Illinois within while also adding 200 new jobs to the local economy.

Various state and local officials were on hand to cut the ribbon on what will become the headquarters of Airborne and Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination in the aerospace company’s ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) product line.

The officials emphasized various facts about the move, particularly their satisfaction over the project’s successful implementation of $4 million from Governor Patrick’s Economic Development Incentive Plan as well as the success of keeping the Chelmsford jobs within the Commonwealth.

 “Governor Patrick and I are excited to have Goodrich, a global leader in defense manufacturing, invested in staying and growing their business here in Massachusetts,” said Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray.

Several other public officials, such as Massachusetts secretary of housing and business development Greg Bialecki, State Senator Eileen Donoghue (D-Lowell) and State Representative James Arciero (D-Westford) also praised Goodrich and the efforts made to keep the company within the Commonwealth.

For Arciero, who grew up less than a quarter of a mile from the site, the company’s decision was an example of recent investments by the state and federal government in attracting and retaining jobs in the area, such as recent stimulus dollars used for infrastructure projects such as the expansion of the Littleton MBTA Commuter Rail Station.

“Taking action to keep a business in Massachusetts and to expand its facility in Westford is a credit to all of us who have worked on this endeavor,” said Arciero. “Instead of losing jobs and businesses to other states, the leadership of Governor Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Murray has made our state a more business friendly environment.”

The opening was also a chance for the company to donate $50,000 to the Wounded Warriors fund, a program that provides programs and services for injured Massachusetts military personnel and their families.

“This donation will help wounded warriors in the Commonwealth with immediate needs for gas and groceries, provide them help to seek and attain gainful employment, (and) offer healing for those suffering from PTSD,” said Wounded Warriors outreach coordinator Linda Perry.