Raytheon announces its global headquarters is leaving Massachusetts, moving to Virginia

In a blow to Massachusetts, Waltham-based Raytheon Applied sciences is shifting its international headquarters to Arlington, Virginia.

Raytheon introduced its plans Tuesday, saying a headquarters in Virginia “will increase agility in supporting U.S. authorities and business aerospace prospects and serves to bolster partnerships that can progress revolutionary applied sciences to advance the business.”

The corporate, which didn’t define impacts on employees right here, additionally known as the D.C space a “handy journey hub” for its prospects and workers.

“It gained’t be the final headline that we learn in that regard,” Massachusetts Taxpayers Basis President Eileen McAnneny mentioned after the host of a discussion board on the state finances learn a breaking information alert concerning the firm’s plans. Firms are “far more attuned to relative value variations,” she mentioned.

Raytheon mentioned it had not “accepted or sought” monetary incentives from any state or municipality as a part of the transfer, and mentioned it could “keep its sturdy U.S. presence which incorporates 600 amenities throughout 44 states and territories.”

The corporate’s 4 enterprise items have operations in Virginia, Raytheon mentioned, and its new international headquarters will likely be in Arlington’s Rosslyn neighborhood alongside the Raytheon Intelligence & House enterprise.

Raytheon Applied sciences Company’s 4 companies are Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence & House, and Raytheon Missiles & Protection. In 2020, the corporate was shaped after Raytheon Firm and the United Applied sciences Company aerospace companies mixed their companies.

Boston Globe enterprise reporter Jon Chesto described the information as “a blow to Massachusetts when it comes to status, simply two years after the state gained out within the merger between Raytheon and United Applied sciences Corp.” He cited an organization spokesman in reporting that “there can be no discount within the protection firm’s Massachusetts workforce because of the transfer.”

On the Massachusetts Affiliation of Well being Plans’ finances discussion board, affiliation president Lora Pellegrini known as the breaking information a “well timed message.”

“Raytheon is shifting out of the state, and so they’re shifting to Virginia,” she mentioned. “So I believe to your level about us creating an economic system, and a spot the place folks need to dwell and work, and it’s reasonably priced, perhaps that is among the causes Raytheon is shifting. Clearly, it’s an enormous loss to the commonwealth.”

“Wow,” McAnneny responded.

McAnneny went on to recall tax coverage adjustments enacted within the Nineties to retain Raytheon, at a time when the Division of Protection was doing belt-tightening and the corporate was exploring a possible transfer to Arizona and its extra favorable tax local weather.

“They fought like hell to get a greater tax local weather in Massachusetts, and so they’ve been combating ever since,” she mentioned. “They’ve been, you already know, made to be the monsters … as a result of they requested for this coverage. I imply our protection producers had been a critically necessary sector in Massachusetts, plenty of high-tech jobs in it. And so that’s, it’s troubling.”

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance used the information to attract consideration to a constitutional modification on the November poll enabling a brand new 4% surtax on family earnings above $1 million per 12 months, a measure that Democrats within the state Legislature have superior to lift cash for training and transportation.

The alliance opposes the surtax and mentioned it could push the tax local weather right here “additional into unfriendly territory for companies and their workers.”

“Raytheon might have thought of this transfer for a lot of causes, however it’s not misplaced on us that when the legislature’s earnings tax poll query is months away from showing on the poll, a big Massachusetts based mostly firm like Raytheon decides to maneuver its company headquarters out of Massachusetts,” alliance spokesman Paul Diego Craney mentioned in a press release. “This might be the primary vital canary within the coal mine for Massachusetts and a warning to what’s going to change into extra frequent if the legislature’s 80% grad tax hike modification passes this November.”