MCKINNEY, TX—Raytheon will build a 200,000-square-foot assembly plant here, supporting 500 new high-tech jobs at its Space and Airborne Systems headquarters. Construction will be completed in late 2020.

The announcement comes on the heels of research from The University of North Texas Economic Research Group, which found Raytheon’s business operations in North Texas contribute $4.8 billion to the Texas economy. In 2018, Raytheon directly employed more than 8,000 Texans. Supply chain activity and employee spending supported an additional 10,000 jobs throughout the state.

Raytheon’s McKinney facility specializes in assembling intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, including electro-optical systems and high-energy laser systems.

“This is an investment in the talented McKinney workforce,” says Roy Azevedo, president of Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems. “It shows we are serious about our presence in Texas and that we are here to stay.”

Raytheon is the top employer in McKinney with more than 3,000 employees.