Harris, an international communications and information technology company, officially opened the world's most advanced manufacturing center for the production of tactical radios, assured communication systems and related products.
The new 573,000 square-foot center near Rochester, New York, was developed specifically to increase the company's competitiveness and address the changing requirements of military and public safety communications.
At a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Jefferson Road Operations Center, U.S. Representative Tom Reed joined Harris senior management, employees and special guests to celebrate the facility's official opening.
About 1,100 employees work at the Center, which is located in Henrietta, a suburb of Rochester. The factory consolidates several previously geographically dispersed production lines into a single, integrated facility.
"The opening of this new factory represents a significant investment by Harris in the Rochester area and the global market for assured tactical and public safety communications," said Howard L. Lance, Chairman, President and CEO, Harris Corporation. "It demonstrates our commitment to serve our customers by delivering products to the field faster and more efficiently. The new facility will provide cost savings and deliver a platform to drive continued innovation and growth."
"Harris is the leading provider of assured communications technology to military and public safety customers around the world. To maintain that position, we need to be increasingly competitive and innovative,'' said Dana Mehnert, President, Harris RF Communications group. "This new facility will be a key enabler in bringing products to market more quickly and sharpen our focus on meeting the current and emerging needs of a dynamic customer base. We'll leverage this factory to deliver better, more innovative and more cost-effective solutions to military and public safety personnel."
Harris is using the factory to manufacture the world's most advanced tactical communication products for military, public safety and government agencies in the United States and across the world. This includes the Falcon III(r) multiband manpack and handheld tactical radios for wideband networking on the battlefield, and the advanced Harris Unity multiband public safety radio for police, fire and other first responders. Unity is the leading public safety radio designed and manufactured in the United States.
The new manufacturing center is the result of an intensive total renovation project that converted a former Xerox Corp. office building into a production site in about 10 months. The facility distributes work across adaptable "focus factories" in support of the entire Harris RF product portfolio. These focus factories create a unique in-line production operation that integrates everything from parts delivery, assembly and testing with packaging and shipping. Future plans call for integration of a supplier village in which partners can locate production within the Harris factory.
Approximately half of Harris RF Communications' local workforce of 2,300 has relocated to the new center, with the balance of employees remaining in the city of Rochester. "RF Communications was founded here more than a half-century ago and has grown through the hard work and commitment of our employees and the support of the community,'' Mehnert said."The opening of this facility reaffirms our commitment to Rochester and Monroe County and positions us for the future.''
