The other shoe dropped Monday at the Woodward Inc. manufacturing plant in Valencia, where employees were informed that the aircraft controls company will shut down the facility no later than the end of next year in favor of a new plant in South Carolina.
The news of the closure — which will affect approximately 400 local jobs — came on the heels of an April announcement that 300 out of the plant’s approximately 730 jobs were being shifted to Rockford, Illinois.
The closure, when complete, will end a decades-long chapter of the Santa Clarita Valley economy in which the Woodward facility — originally founded as Hydraulic Research more than 50 years ago before being acquired by Textron Inc. and then Woodward — has been consistently one of the SCV’s largest employers in the coveted aerospace sector.
As of 2025, Woodward was ranked by the SCV Economic Development Corp. as the valley’s 11th largest employer, with 759 employees. In April, the announcement was made that the company’s servo-hydraulic control valves production line was moving to Rockford, cutting Woodward’s number of local jobs to about 400.
On Monday, the company issued a news release confirming that by the end of 2027 that number will be zero and its property at the intersection of Rye Canyon Road and Avenue Scott will be sold.
Production of military fixed-wing and rotorcraft flight control actuation will move to Woodward’s new aerospace manufacturing campus in Spartanburg, South Carolina, which is currently in advanced stages of construction, the release said.
Separately, Woodward has agreed to sell a smaller group of legacy commercial rotorcraft, land systems, and business jet products made in Santa Clarita, along with the campus itself, in a transaction expected to close in fiscal year 2027.
Details of that transaction were not included in the announcement.
“We don’t make decisions like this without recognizing what they mean for the people affected. Our team in Santa Clarita has contributed to Woodward for 17 years, and we are committed to supporting them through the transition with respect,” Shawn McLevige, president of Woodward’s Aerospace segment, said in the release. “This decision is in line with our strategy to continue creating value for our company and our shareholders through growth, operational excellence and innovation. Moving this production to Spartanburg will help refine our manufacturing footprint to best support our customers and improve our supply chain as we meet increasing demand for industry-leading controls on current and next-generation commercial and military aircraft.”
Woodward, headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado, is expected to cease operations at the Santa Clarita facility no later than December 2027, the release said. The decision is expected to affect about 400 roles at the facility, with phased transitions through the planned move. The Spartanburg facility is expected to go online in summer 2027 and will produce Airbus A350 spoiler actuation systems, in addition to the transferred product lines and other aerospace components.
In its heyday, Hydraulic Research/HR Textron was a source of community pride and consistently at or near the top of lists of the SCV’s largest employers, manufacturing control systems for aircraft including numerous military planes and helicopters, the famed SR-71 Blackbird and the Space Shuttle program.
Asked for a response to the announcement, the SCV EDC issued a statement on behalf of its President/CEO Ondré Seltzer. The statement, prepared jointly with the city of Santa Clarita, indicated confidence that Woodward will remain committed to a smooth transition for its affected employees.
“SCVEDC met with Woodward leadership this morning, and we will continue serving as the company’s primary community point of contact as this transition moves forward,” the statement read. “Woodward has expressed its continued commitment to working directly with SCVEDC to support its local workforce, and our immediate priority will be supporting employees affected by the transition who are seeking new opportunities across Santa Clarita Valley’s strong aerospace and advanced manufacturing ecosystem so we can retain as much of this highly skilled talent in our region as possible.”
The statement added: “At the same time, we are focused on what comes next. As the transition progresses, we will continue to work with our regional partners to support future investment at the site while continuing to actively pursue new aerospace, space, advanced manufacturing and emerging technology companies and investment into the Santa Clarita Valley. SCVEDC has already confirmed multiple local aerospace investment projects in 2026, reinforcing the continued strength and opportunity within the sector. The Santa Clarita Valley has a deep aerospace heritage, a highly skilled workforce, and a growing innovation economy. Our focus is on continuing to build on those strengths and ensuring aerospace remains a robust, diverse, and important part of the valley’s long-term economic future.”
