July 20, 2015
EAST HARTFORD – State Representatives Jeff Currey, Henry Genga and Jason Rojas joined federal, state and local officials Thursday at a ceremonial groundbreaking for Pratt & Whitney’s state-of-the-art, 425,000-square-foot building that will serve as the company’s global headquarters and world-class engineering facility.
“Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in designing, manufacturing and servicing of aircraft engines, and this new manufacturing facility and headquarters helps to solidify the company’s standing. This is a great day for East Hartford and all of Connecticut,” Currey said.
Genga praised the leaders of Pratt & Whitney and its parent company, United Technologies Corp. “This is a significant investment in the state and East Hartford,” Genga said. “The East Hartford legislative delegation last year championed the Connecticut Aerospace Reinvestment Act, and this is exactly what we had hoped for when we passed the legislation. I couldn’t be happier with what is taking place today,” he said.
“Today is a special day for Pratt & Whitney and East Hartford,” Rojas said. “East Hartford has been home to Pratt for 90 years and these new facilities will ensure that our special relationship continues on into the future. I grew up near Pratt and can remember the air shows that used to take place there. I look forward to seeing this investment take shape over the next year and I thank Pratt & Whitney for their commitment to East Hartford.”
Construction work, which is supported in part by the aerospace reinvestment act, will begin later this year and is scheduled to be completed in late 2017.
The ceremony was held exactly 86 years to the day that ground was broken for construction of the company’s current East Hartford campus, which remains its global headquarters. To commemorate the event, Nathan G. Patch, grandson of Pratt & Whitney founder Frederick Rentschler, joined company leaders and state and local government officials in reenacting the ceremonial 1929 groundbreaking, as depicted in a historic photo.
“Pratt & Whitney’s technology, innovations and engineering excellence have created revolutionary products that have defined aviation for the past 90 years, and continue to do so today with the PurePower® and F135 aircraft engines,” said Pratt & Whitney President Paul Adams. “This new world-class facility will house the best and brightest minds to help us continue operating on the cutting edge of aviation technology for decades to come.”
“Pratt & Whitney’s state-of-the-art facility will be a catalyst for attracting and retaining good paying jobs, continuing our economic progress and strengthening our manufacturing base,” said Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.