STRATFORD, Conn., May 25, 2023 -- Igor Sikorsky came to America as a refugee, led the creation of the rotorcraft industry and spurred engineering progress. After 100 years, the aviation innovation company he created still inspires those who work here.

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company released a new video to celebrate the life of the aviation pioneer which began on his May 25, 1889 in Kiev, Russian Empire (now Ukraine). The video features past and present Sikorsky employees commenting on his innovative spirit that continues to inspire them as they pursue their dreams supporting military and civil missions.

“When you come into Sikorsky, you don't feel like you're in a generic homogeneous company,” said Paul Lemmo, President of Sikorsky. “You feel like you're part of an innovative company that continues to want to carry on the work of its founder. And it's just an incredible honor to be part of that.”

Igor Sikorsky’s impact on the rotorcraft industry and the state of Connecticut has been profound, including tens of thousands of employees who embraced Igor’s vision at the company’s Connecticut facilities, locations in Florida, Texas, and Alabama, as well as international operations in Poland and Australia. The company currently employs more than 13,000 people in the U.S. and around the world.

“The jet may have made the world smaller. The helicopter made it bigger by allowing mankind to live and work in areas that would have been inaccessible by any other vehicle,” Igor Sikorsky once said.

Sikorsky is celebrating the 100^th Anniversary of the company’s founding in 1923 by marking the company’s historic achievements, conducting events and sharing social media content which includes interviews with current and former employees, seldom seen historic footage, images and audio recordings.  You can learn more about Igor and the history of the company he built at the Sikorsky Archives.

For more information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com/sikorsky.

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

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