Sikorsky was finally sold to Lockheed Martin Corp for $9 billion. Not long after the sale was finalized, representatives of the firm and Chester County officials expressed optimism that the sale would not negatively influence operations at the Coatesville plant.

Many were concerned, after United Technologies decision in June cut 720 jobs at the commercial unit in Sadsbury that further cuts would follow. However, even after the cuts, the number of Sikorsky full-time employees in Coatesville is around 1,000.

At the time, the cuts were attributed to lower oil prices that were making oil companies cut back on purchases of helicopters to transport of workers to offshore oil rigs, which in turn impacted the commercial side of the business. But Wall Street’s concerns also pointed to issues related to China and the companies rather segmented business approach.

Considering the size of the workforce, business leaders in the county have been watching carefully to see if there will be any possible repercussions of a new owner. The response came a day after the sale, when it was announced by Sikorsky officials that the sale agreement will have no impact on the Coatesville facility.

Lockheed Martin plans to add Sikorsky to its mission systems and training unit should potentially turn out to be very positive for the Coatesville facility. The move provides substantial opportunities for future growth opportunities which could help the commercial business unit recover and increase in value.

With this move, Lockheed Martin has added a very strong helicopter building component that they hope will secure and extend its core defense business. This should provide a whole host of new opportunities for the existing staff at Coatesville and also perhaps opportunities for some of those laid off to be reinstated, now that the facility has a forward looking and highly profitable new owner.

Odds are that with the purchase of Sikorsky, Lockheed will move ahead quickly to make the most of its new business arm. With Lockheed far more protected from the issues that UTC had, such as lower oil prices and a potential China meltdown, it may make some changes to the Sikorsky business model such as shifting away from some loss making civil contract’s. However, its close relationship with the defense department and large corporations will undoubtedly bring in far more work in other areas.