Not Everybody at Northrop Grumman Knows This

I was talking to somebody at Northrop Grumman this morning and mentioned that I saw the article in the L.A. Times regarding Northrop Grumman's headquarters moving to the "Virginia area". He had not heard about this news at all, but said that he was pretty busy at work this morning.

Wesley Bush made this move announcement on his first day on the job as chief operating officer and President, taking over for Ron Sugar effective January 1, 2010. The L.A. Times had this quotation:

"This is an important move for the company, and it's one that we believe will improve the effectiveness in serving the nation and our customers," Bush said in his first public statement as the company's chief executive. "The proximity to Washington enables us to be a more integrated part of the federal process."

However, I also notice that Wes Bush is a native of West Virginia, and went to school in Massachusetts for both his Bachelor and Master degrees in electrical engineering from MIT. Smart guy. He likes the East Coast.

Wes Bush doesn't waste any time.

Ron Sugar, on the other hand, was born in Hawthorne, and went to school at UCLA. Local boy. Ron Sugar didn't want to move the headquarters to the "Virginia area"; he thought it was fine where it was in Century City.

Wes Bush, the East Coast boy, thought that Northrop Grumman would improve its "effectiveness" if its headquarters were to be physically closer to the federal process in Washington.

Hasn't he heard of the telephone, and airplanes? Distances are not what they used to be when people had to walk for days in order to visit and communicate with other people.

Does this mean that Northrop Grumman has previously been "ineffective" in serving its customers because of the geographic distance between Los Angeles and Washington?

Ron Sugar didn't seem to have a problem with the physical distance between Century City and Washington, but of course, he's a local boy.

Wes Bus does have a problem with the physical distance, but of course, he's from the East Coast and has the degrees from MIT.

They are moving only the corporate headquarters (that's where Wes Bush goes to work).

Evidently the physical proximity of the corporate headquarter will increase Northrop Grumman "effectivess" to its customers. The other parts of the company that CREATES the products for the customers evidently don't need to be in close proximity to the customer and federal process. The research, development, and manufacturing parts of the companyare going to stay in Southern California where it will be more effective after the corporate headquarters moves to be physically closer to Washington and the federal process.

I don't understand.

As I have told many fellow employees at Northrop Grumman, manaagement is VERY VERY SMART, and I am not smart enough to understand the hows and whys of Northrop Grumman management decision making process. This is just another example of Northrop Grumman management being smarter than I am.

I thought that it was because Wes Bush is an East Coast kind of guy, and just wants to go back home where he grew up. Shows how much I know.

Here are some links:

Northrop Grumman Corp. headquarters moving to Washington, D.C., area (L.A. Times, Sunday, January 4, 2010)

Northrop Grumman moving headquarters from L.A. to Washington, D.C., area (L.A. Times, Monday, January 5, 2010)

Northrop Grumman to keep many jobs in California

Northrop move worsens Southern California's Fortune-500 brain drain


Disclaimer: SORRY - This is only what I know from my point of view. No lies, just what I see as the truth.