Growth is good.

That may sound simplistic, but when you’re considering economic growth, it’s also quite true.

And this week’s ground-breaking ceremony for an expansion at Lockheed Martin Pike County Operations confirms that.

Years ago, community leaders had the foresight and vision to recruit Lockheed Martin to Pike County. In the years since, the Pike County facility has become a company leader, setting the standard for workforce commitment and earning high praise locally and nationally within the company.

More important, Lockheed Martin has been a good corporate citizen, supporting business and civic efforts as diverse as a helping mentor a robotics team at a local school to hosting leadership program students from the local chamber of commerce.

The annex, which is expected to be complete and fully operational in 2015, will eventually add about 100 jobs to the facility’s 300-person workforce. It will, in the words of Troy Mayor Jason Reeves “give people an opportunity to earn a good wage … and it’ll keep the door open for continued expansion.”

So yes, growth is good: good for the economy, good for our workforce, good for the future of Lockheed Martin and the future of Pike County.