Lockheed Martin Aeronautics laying off 114 at Marietta facility

By David Markiewicz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. is laying off 114 employees at its Marietta plant as part of a larger, ongoing cost-cutting effort that it said is not directly related to the fate of the aircraft now produced at the facility.

Enlarge photo

John Rossino, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. mechanics assemble components of the F-35 Lightning II center wing in Marietta. The company said the layoffs announced Sept. 26 are not directly related to the fate of the aircraft now produced at the facility.

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The cuts are involuntary and come on top of 100 jobs that were reduced in Marietta through  earlier voluntary layoffs.

Notices on the latest reductions are going out this week. Most of those affected are salaried personnel. They will receive 60 days notice and a severance package, Lockheed Martin said.

The company announced in June plans to eliminate 1,500 positions by the end of this year in its aeronautics unit, with its operations in Fort Worth,  Palmdale, Calif. and Marietta feeling the greatest impact.

Overall, 450 employees took a voluntary buyout, and  300 more positions that were open were eliminated. Another 300 positions, in the sustainment services division, which is not located in Marietta, also were eliminated.

About 540 involuntary layoffs, including those in Marietta, will make up the remainder of the job cuts, the company said.

The Marietta plant has about 8,000 workers, about 4,200 of whom are salaried and 3,800 hourly. The  company employs 28.000 at its aeronautics facilities.

Marietta plant projects include production of the center wing assembly of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. The future size of the program is in question because of federal budget concerns and the cost-cutting debate  in Washington.

The fighter is expected to pick up the production slack of the F-22 program which is winding down.