An East Coast aerospace company has purchased a 265-acre office and industrial complex in Moorpark with the intention of growing its business there. Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense, a Simsbury, Conn.-based company that designs and manufactures firing systems used in missiles, spacecraft and aircraft, closed on the hilltop property on April 28 for an undisclosed price. Special Devices Inc. had previously occupied the complex until it sold its aerospace division to Ensign-Bickford in last March and moved its corporate headquarters and automotive division to Arizona. The SDI aerospace division manufactures explosive devices used in tactical missiles, weapons and launch vehicles. After acquiring SDI, it became apparent that buying the massive complex on White Sage Road was the best location, said Michael Pitcher, senior vice president of Ensign-Bickford Industries. “It was more facility than what that division required,” Pitcher said, noting that gives the company room to expand. The site features multiple buildings, the largest of which is more than 100,000 square feet. The complex also has explosive and pyrotechnic chambers for testing purposes. The complex is among the largest business properties in Moorpark, said David Moe, the city’s economic development manager. “We are excited to have someone interested in the property and to take the next step to buy it,” Moe said. Ensign-Bickford is using a portion of the largest building on the site. A year ago, the company purchased NEA Electronics Inc. in Chatsworth and moved its operations to the Moorpark campus. NEA makes special hardware used on satellites. But now the company is looking to grow its operations to fill in the remaining space, Pitcher said. Any future acquisition could use that facility, he said. “The markets we are involved in are not growing right now,” Pitcher said. The city has been getting inquiries serving the same markets that are looking to expand their operations, Moe said. “These are companies that are manufacturing-based with some component being aerospace or defense,” Moe said.
Aerospace Company Finds Huge Space in Moorpark
