Sikorsky president who negotiated deal for helicopter manufacturing in Connecticut to retire in 2021

Dan Schultz, Sikorsky’s president who negotiated a 2016 deal with Connecticut that keeps helicopter manufacturing in the state until at least 2032, has announced he’ll retire next year.

Schultz has led the Stratford-based manufacturer since 2015 and will be succeeded by Paul Lemmo, vice president and general manager of the Integrated Warfare Systems and Sensors business at parent Lockheed Martin Corp.

Before joining Lockheed Martin in 2006, Schultz was on active duty with the Marine Corps as program manager for the Joint V-22 Osprey program.

The deal with the administration of then-Gov. Dannel P. Malloy provided up to $220 million in grants and tax breaks to Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed Martin in exchange for the company meeting employment and in-state spending requirements.

Sikorsky and the Pentagon announced recently it will build another six heavy-lift helicopters in Stratford as part of a recent $550 million Navy contract and the economic development deal with Connecticut.

The CH-53K King Stallion helicopters are used by the Marines as expeditionary heavy-lift assault transport of armored vehicles, equipment and personnel sea-based centers of operations. The six helicopters are part of a program of 200 for the Marine Corps and brings to 24 the number of CH-53K production aircraft under contract to be built in Connecticut.

The year that Schultz took the helm, Sikorsky was sold to Lockheed Martin for $9 billion by United Technologies Corp., which has since merged with Raytheon Co. to become Raytheon Technologies Corp.

Stephen Singer can be reached at ssinger@courant.com.

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