Chet Edwards For Congress

L-3 in Waco gets $136 million boost to continue work on Navy surveillance planes

Waco Tribune-Herald | Friday, December 19, 2008 | By Mike Copeland | Tribune-Herald business editor

L-3 Communications has been awarded a $136 million contract to continue its work on Navy P-3 surveillance planes.

Refurbishing will take place at L-3’s plant at Texas State Technical College airport. The company is Waco’s largest private-sector employer, with about 1,700 on its payroll.

More than 300 of the plant’s employees repair and replace parts in the wing and tail assembly area of P-3 planes, which are used for surveillance missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

L-3 Communications has been given a $136 contract to continue work on Navy P-3 surveillance aircraft, like the one shown here at Texas State Technical College airport. (Duane A. Laverty, file)

“The work of L-3 Communications is important to our national security, and plays a vital role in bolstering Waco’s economy,” said U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, in announcing the contract. “At a time when the national economy is struggling, the P-3 contract for L-3 means increased economic development and quality jobs in Central Texas.”

L-3 spokesman Lance Martin said the $136 million for 2009 represents a continuation of an existing contract with the Navy.”

He said contracts such as these help keep L-3’s local employment level stable. Despite economic hard times, L-3 has a backlog of work and earlier this month broke ground on a new, $10 million hangar.

“With two wars going on right now, we have to meet demands to keep planes sustained and flying,” said Michael Holmes, the L-3 site executive in Waco and vice president of federal programs.

The city of Waco and McLennan County each chipped in $1 million from their economic development funds to help L-3 pay for a new hangar, the second it has built at TSTC since April 2005.