Terran Orbital (NYSE:LLAP) Corporation announced that its co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer Marc Bell has been named to South Florida Business Journal’s 2023 Power Leaders 250 List.
The company highlighted Bell's background as "a serial entrepreneur" and five-time unicorn founder. Under his leadership, Terran Orbital recently secured a $2.4 billion contract to design, build, and deploy 288 low-earth orbit satellites and develop 12 “spare” satellites for Rivada Space Networks - the largest small satellite production deal to date.
“Being counted among South Florida’s 250 Power Leaders is an honor – especially at a time when South Florida is home to so many titans,” said Bell in a statement. “When I undertake a venture, I intend to rank as the best or second best in the industry.
“My mission with Terran Orbital is no different. I look forward to continuing to propel Terran Orbital on its upward trajectory as a satellite manufacturer of choice to aerospace and defense entities worldwide – and I look forward to providing the fuel for this journey from South Florida,” he added.
READ: Terran Orbital joins Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2023
In 2008, Bell took a $250 million SPAC public, acquiring startup Armour Residential REIT. Armour today holds over $8 billion worth of mortgage-backed securities in its portfolio. Before Armour, Bell began his career in 1989 as the founder of Globix: The Global Internet Exchange. Globix was an internet infrastructure company with over 28,000 miles of fiber and over 1 million square feet of data center space globally.
Bell is also an avid Broadway producer with two Tony Award-winning Broadway shows: Grammy Award-winning ‘Jersey Boys’ (Tony for best musical) and Pulitzer Prize- winning ‘August: Osage County’ (Tony for best play). His most recent Tony Award-nominated Broadway show was ‘Beetlejuice’ (best musical).
In addition to helping secure the Rivada deal, Bell has also led Terran Orbital’s partnership with Lockheed Martin securing a $100 million investment from Lockheed Martin in October 2022 and a new Strategic Cooperation Agreement (SCA). The new SCA runs through 2035 and allows Terran Orbital to pursue a wider variety of opportunities with Lockheed Martin.
Prior to the SCA, Terran Orbital and Lockheed Martin were already working together on numerous projects, including the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Transport Layer. Terran Orbital has already delivered 10 spacecraft to Lockheed Martin in support of the SDA Transport Layer’s foundational layer, Tranche 0, and is currently developing 42 satellites for the next layer, Tranche 1. Once completed, SDA’s Transport Layer will provide assured, resilient, low-latency military data and connectivity worldwide to the full range of warfighter platforms.
In addition to his business endeavors, Bell is involved with numerous boards and nonprofits including the NYU Board of Trustees, NYU Langone Health Board of Overseers, NYU Stern Center for Real Estate Finance Research Advisory Board, NYU Schack Advisory Board, and the NYU College of Arts and Science Dean’s Advisory Council. He is also chairman and founder of the Boca Raton Police Foundation and serves on the board of SOS Children’s Villages Florida.
Terran Orbital is a leading manufacturer of satellite products primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries. The company provides end-to-end satellite solutions by combining satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations, and on-orbit support to meet the needs of the most demanding military, civil, and commercial customers.
Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com