16Northrop GrummanLos Angeles, CA(310) 553-6262www.northgrum.comA flurry of recent acquisitions has made Northrop Grumman the No. 1 shipbuilder and No. 2 U.S. defense contractor behind Lockheed Martin. The company picked up three companies in the past couple years: Litton Industries, Newport News, and, most recently, TRW. It took the No. 38 spot on the Business Week Fifty, as well the No. 93 spot on the Fortune 100. Its operations encompass six sectors: Electronic Systems (military, commercial, and space); Information Technology (computer systems); Integrated Systems (aircraft); Ship Systems (military and commercial ships); Newport News (nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers); and Component Technologies (electronic and optical components). The company manufactures its high-profile products, including the B-2 stealth bomber, amphibious assault ships, and oil tankers, in its 1,400 industrial buildings totaling nearly 33.7 million square feet of space. Northrop Grumman also operates out of 943 office buildings with a combined square footage of nearly 21.7 million.[Editors’ Note: Named Forbes’ 2003 “Company of the Year” (Jan. 6, 2003), Northrop’s Chairman Kent Kresa has been recasting his company as an “integrator,” rather than a mere supplier of individual weapons. Not surprising, as Kresa (who retires Oct. 1 when President, CEO, and Director Ronald D. Sugar takes the helm) is a master of the theme – clearly evident in how he has finessed the integration of the multiple company acquisitions. Look to Northrop to translate integration into its facilities practices – keeping in mind that the melding of corporate cultures begins at home.]
