MELBOURNE, Fla.,None — One of Central Florida's largest employers announced on Monday that it will keep its headquarters in Brevard County and build a new mega facility in Palm Bay.
Harris Corporation said it will add 100 new high-tech jobs, and hundreds of construction jobs over the next three years as the facility is being built. The corporation also said the new facility will save jobs from moving out of the state.
Officials said Harris Corporation was being courted by Virginia to move the company there.
The corporation said it has been quietly working on the project for some time. The company announced its plans to invest $100 million toward the new six-story 450,000-square foot structure on Troutman Boulevard in Palm Bay.
WFTV found out that between 1,200 and 1,400 workers will be relocated to the new facility from other aging Harris buildings around southern Brevard County.
The company said it is getting some tax incentives from the state for committing to staying put.
"The Harris Corporation is a profit-making company, so why should taxpayers put anything into expanding your facilities?" WFTV reporter Kevin Oliver asked.
"I think it's a win-win for the company and a win-win for the community. Anytime that we or the community makes an investment, everybody expects a return. We're going to get a return in terms of the people we are getting, but the community gets a return from the new people we are bringing into the company," said Harris Corporation CEO Bill Brown.
Brown did not say what the taxpayer incentives were for the company to build the new facility or to stay.
Senate President Mike Haridopolos told Oliver they were a series of tax breaks and that the deal was worth it to keep Harris in Brevard County.
The new facility is scheduled to be completed in 2014.
WFTV
