Who’s Hiring:
New Workers in Maryland
Smith’s Detection, a provider of threat detection equipment for the defense industry, will be hiring 103 new workers at its Hartford County, Md. office. Maryland continues to battle for defense industry business and develop its cleared contractor workforce. The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development is providing Smith’s with a $750,000 conditional loan, and the Hartford County Office of Economic Development, along with the state, will be providing a $100,000 employee training grant.
Who’s Firing:
Defense Industry Manufacturing Continues to Get Hit Hard, Puget Sound Expresses Sequestration Fears
General Dynamics is laying off one-quarter of manufacturing workers at its Scranton, Pa. munitions plant. A General Dynamics spokesperson said they hoped to be able to rehire workers if they are awarded new contracts. But with little new business being awarded recently, workers are pessimistic about their prospects. The region has been hit hard since the recession, holding the highest unemployment rate in the state for the past two years.
DRS Technologies laid off 100 employees at its Melbourne, Fla. location. DRS Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition in Melbourne laid off 170 workers in April. DRS’ director of public relations said the layoffs were a “necessary step, given current market conditions.”
And because it’s not a defense hiring update without a new report on the horror that is sequestration, Puget Sound, a region in the upper northwest which has experienced a defense industry boom in the past decade, is voicing new concerns about the impact of sequestration to the region. According to a report by George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis, Washington State could lose 41,000 jobs if sequestration takes effect.
Who’s Acquiring:
GD AIS Acquires Fidelis Security Systems
There’s nothing hotter than cybersecurity, and as defense firms consider acquisitions, that’s top on the list. General Dynamics plans to acquire Fidelis Security Systems, reports Washington Business Journal. Fidelis offers a product to protect against data breaches. Employees are expected to remain located at Fidelis offices in Waltham, Mass. and Bethesda, Md., for now.
Lindy Kyzer is the editor of ClearanceJobs.com. She loves cybersecurity, social media, and the U.S. military. Have a conference, tip, or story idea to share? Email editor@clearancejobs.com.
