Harris adding 100 Rochester jobs

Newly merged Harris-Excelis Corp. has agreed to bring 100 new, good-paying jobs to Rochester over the next 12 months, U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer announced Wednesday.

There is also the potential to later add 50 jobs, for a total of up to 150 new jobs. The announcement comes after Schumer urged CEO Bill Brown to grow and expand the company’s operations in Rochester when Harris Corp. announced its planned purchase of Excelis in February of this year.

The 150 new jobs will support the production of a new Single Channel Ground-to-Air military radio production line that Harris will consolidate from out-of-state to Rochester. Additionally, Harris is designating Rochester as the headquarters of one of the new company’s four business segments. Rochester will be the headquarters of Harris’s Communications Systems segment, which will oversee all of Harris’s work on tactical and airborne radios, night vision technology, and defense and public safety networks.

“Harris has had great success in Rochester producing life-saving radio units for our troops and this merger will ensure the joint company will continue that success with even more resources to stay on the cutting-edge of technology,” Schumer said. “What’s more, the combined R&D and production resources of the new company will be a huge boon to the Rochester manufacturing industry and regional economy.”