By Christopher Harress - The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) announced Tuesday that Everett, Wash., will be the site to build the new composite wings for its 777X aircraft, sustaining thousands of jobs in the Puget Sound area.
"Locating the new composite wing center in Everett is a win for all of our teammates and partners," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President & CEO Ray Conner. "This will put our workforce on the cutting edge of composite technology and allow us to build on the infrastructure and logistics system we have in Everett. This decision will strengthen the company's competitiveness and help it grow for the long term."
The new factory will be located to the north of the current Everett factory, which is north of Seattle. The decision comes after the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers District 751 voted to approve an eight-year contract extension that would ensure that the new aircraft is build in Washington.
"This marks the first step in a bricks and mortar commitment by Boeing to build a facility that will be home to the jobs and technology of tomorrow – not in a foreign country or a distant state, but right here in the Pacific Northwest," said IAM President Tom Buffenbarger.
The 1 million-square-foot complex will begin construction on the composite wings later this year.
"Today we gain certainty that Washington will remain the global leader in aerospace for decades to come," said Gov. Jay Inslee. "Thanks to this tremendous investment by Boeing, we know that thousands of talented Washington workers will soon be fabricating the most technologically advanced carbon fiber structure ever developed and the world's next great commercial airplane, the 777X. The work at this plant also launches Washington into the forefront of advanced composites manufacturing – an industry with exciting growth potential beyond aerospace."
The first delivery is scheduled for 2020.