Raytheon picks Downey for new public safety facility

Raytheon Company, an aerospace and defense company with sales of $25 billion last year, will open a research and training facility in Downey, city officials announced today.The facility will be located at 11899 Woodruff Ave., just north of Stewart and Gray Road, and occupy 27,000 square feet, according to a press release. Raytheon will hire 150 people to staff the facility, which is officially being called the Public Safety Regional Technology Center. The center will provide researching and testing services, training, maintenance, logistics, and customer and systems support.It is expected to open within three months."The selection of Downey will centrally locate our new center in the greater Los Angeles area, enabling easy access by local public safety professionals to test and certify current and future technologies," said Dan Crowley, president of Raytheon Network Centric Systems. "This latest investment, along with the UCLA Center for Public Safety Network Systems announced earlier this year, further underscores Raytheon's commitment to the public safety market and the region."In January, Raytheon announced that it had entered into a letter of intent with UCLA to form a strategic relationship with the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science for the establishment of the UCLA Center for Public Safety Network Systems.Downey officials expressed excitement of Raytheon's impending arrival."This is exciting news for our city as it will bring 150 good-paying jobs to our community," said Mayor Luis Marquez. "We extend our warmest welcome to Raytheon and look forward to the opening of their new facility here in Downey."Raytheon has committed $1 million for the new center during the next three years, city officials said.