A Sparks electronics provider is going to be awarded a record contract to build a new satellite constellation.

Employees say this is not only good news for the company, but really all of the Truckee Meadows; and it comes at time when news about a recession is dominating business headlines.

The Sierra Nevada Corporation is a privately held company that's been located in Sparks for the past 45 years.

On Monday, a leading global satellite company will formally award Sierra Nevada the largest satellite contract in state history.

The deal covers 18 new aerospace satellites, which will be used to track logistics and help with emergency response communication.

Employees say the project represents a step in a new direction.

"We really are trying to position ourselves as a mini Silicon Valley here in the Reno-Sparks area," says a spokesman. It's going to be bringing in some jobs and it's great for the economy."

Currently, about 400 people are working at the Sierra Nevada Corporation, but that figure is expected to increase dramatically over the next couple of years.

Executives had been working on finalizing this contract since last June.
The project is expected to be completed in 2012.