Prior to 2010, the company was headquartered in Century City, Los Angeles, but announced plans on January 4, 2010 to move to the Washington Metropolitan Area by 2011 to be closer to government customers. CEO Wesley Bush stated that the company needed to be located close to Capitol Hill lawmakers and officials from intelligence and military communities. Northrop Grumman considered sites in Washington, D.C. and in suburbs in Maryland and Virginia. The "Los Angeles Business Journal" wrote "In a way, the announcement was not a surprise" due to the trend of aerospace companies moving to the DC area, the fact that the new CEO is from West Virginia and that CEOs often move corporate headquarters to places that they want the headquarters located. A Los Angeles area economic development consultant described the move announcement as a "structural failure at all levels for Los Angeles County."