ARCHBALD -- About 400 people who work at a Lockheed Martin facility in Lackawanna County can breathe a sigh of relief after learning their plant was spared in a recent round of layoffs.
Fresh off the government shutdown that stalled some of its operations, Lockheed Martin higher-ups announced this week that 4,000 jobs would be cut and several plants closed before 2015.
Lockheed Martin is one of the country's biggest military contractors. Missiles and navigational systems are made at the plant in Archbald. Officials with the company said the plant in Archbald won't close. Most of the cuts are in Lockheed Martin's space systems division nationwide.
There are about 400 employees at the Lockheed Martin plant in Archbald, and about 7,000 residents in the borough. So, many people have a connection to Lockheed through friends and family.
News of no layoffs came as a big relief.
"I'm so grateful, for everyone that works there, I really am. And I appreciate the fact that it's not here," said Diane Borowski of Archbald.
"Well, it's nice to know that they're keeping the jobs here, we can't afford to lose any jobs around here," added Wayne Dipple of Archbald.
Not only are folks relieved for their friends and family who work at Lockheed Martin. Business owners who depend on those employees are relieved too.
Frank Petrucci owns La Padrino Restaurant just down the road from the plant. He said the economy has hit his business hard, but he can always count on Lockheed employees to buy their lunches from him. He hopes it stays that way.
"It feels good for once because they are a very good customer, and it's been bad news for so long now, that's at least one thing going our way," Petrucci said.
Another piece of encouraging news, Lockheed Martin officials said the kind of work done in Archbald will be unaffected. Of all the plants that make missiles, only 11 people were laid off nationwide.