Heinrich Tours Raytheon Diné Facility, Highlights Expansion And New Jobs

FARMINGTON, N.M. -- Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) toured the Raytheon Missile Systems Diné Facility south of Farmington. The facility is nearing completion of a new warehouse that will enable Raytheon to streamline the flow of material and production and hire more employees.

During his visit to the 27-year-old plant, Senator Heinrich met with Raytheon Site Manager Matt Ryan and other employees to thank them for their contributions to national security and discuss the construction of the $3.6 million, 30,000 square foot warehouse on the Navajo Nation. There are currently 330 employees--the majority of whom are tribal members--who work at the facility, which is more than double from two years ago. Raytheon has plans to hire an additional 30 workers.

"As a member of the Senate Armed Service Committee, ensuring that our military has the tools and resources it needs to keep our nation safe, fight terrorism, and support our allies, is a top priority for me. I am immensely proud of the workers at Raytheon's Diné facility who are manufacturing the systems that our military uses to keep us safe. The expansion of this facility on the Navajo Nation is testament to the quality work its employees currently do every day," said Sen. Heinrich.

Senator Heinrich continues to look for new manufacturing opportunities for New Mexico. Three years ago, Senator Heinrich recognized a tremendous opportunity that could benefit our national security interests, while increasing jobs in our state. At the time, the United States had generously provided over $1 billion to Israel for its Iron Dome missile defense system, which had a success rate of more than 85 percent and saved lives. Despite this significant amount of foreign assistance, none of the manufacturing of the Iron Dome system occurred in the United States. Therefore, Senator Heinrich successfully amended legislation to require and authorize $15 million to start co-manufacturing the Iron Dome short-range rocket system in the United States.

"I will continue to look for opportunities that will help strengthen our military and increase the manufacturing presence in New Mexico," said Sen. Heinrich.