UPDATE 6:45 PM: Reaction:
- IAM District President Tom Wroblewski
- Washington Governor Chris Gregoire
- Washington Congressman Jim McDermott
- Washington Congressman Rick Larsen
- US Senator Patty Murray WA
- US Senator Maria Cantwell WA
- Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon
- Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson
- US Senator Lindsey Graham SC (audio)
- US Senator Jim DeMint SC
- South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford
- South Carolina Gubernatorial Candidate Dwight Drake
- South Carolina Gubernatorial Candidate Gresham Barrett
UPDATE 5:18 PM: Internal message from Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Jim Albaugh:
A few minutes ago the Board of Directors approved the selection of North Charleston, S.C., as the location for a second final assembly site for the 787. A news release will be issued shortly. At 2:30 p.m. today, Pat Shanahan, Ray Conner and Scott Fancher will hold an all-manager webcast from Everett to provide details and answer questions. A Q&A document also will be distributed to help you answer questions from your teams.
I know this decision may be of concern to many of our employees in Puget Sound, and I am counting on all managers to help everyone focus on the larger picture. Establishing a second 787 assembly line in Charleston will expand our production capability, diversify our manufacturing base and ultimately drive down the cost of the 787 — sustaining our competitiveness. We are adding jobs in South Carolina, not taking them away from Puget Sound. We expect there will be speculation among employees and in the media about what role the IAM played in this decision. While the union did not give us reasonable assurances or sustainable economics, this ultimately came down to a strategic decision for the long-term growth of the company.
Puget Sound has and will continue to be our center for design, flight test and manufacturing. We have exciting programs to work on, including the majority of the production for the 787. Our long-range business plan shows increasing airplane production across all of our product lines here in Puget Sound.
The 787 is an airplane that will improve the way airlines operate and people travel. The second assembly line for the 787 in Charleston will help us deliver more of these great airplanes to our customers who want and need them…JIM
UPDATE 5:05 PM: It’s official:
Boeing to Place Second 787 Assembly Line in North Charleston, SC
SEATTLE, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) today
announced that it has chosen its North Charleston, S.C., facility as
the location for a second final assembly site for the 787 Dreamliner
program. Boeing evaluated criteria that were designed to find the final
assembly location within the company that would best support the 787
business plan as the program increases production rates. In addition to
serving as a location for final assembly of 787 Dreamliners, the
facility also will have the capability to support the testing and
delivery of the airplanes.“Establishing a second 787 assembly line in Charleston will
expand our production capability to meet the market demand for the
airplane,” said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial
Airplanes. “This decision allows us to continue building on the
synergies we have established in South Carolina with Boeing Charleston
and Global Aeronautica,” he said, adding that this move will strengthen
the company’s competitiveness and sustainability and help it grow for
the long term.
UPDATE 4:58 PM: The second 787 line will go to South Carolina, according to Snohomish Country Executive Aaron Reardon:
“The Boeing Company’s announcement to locate a second 787 line in North Charleston, S.C., signals that other states want what we have – a strong manufacturing base. We must all work together and fight to keep it. Washington state must make a conscious decision to do whatever is reasonably necessary to aggressively compete to keep the jobs we have and grow our economy or risk more losses.
“The loss of the second line of the 787 will most certainly result in finger pointing. I urge all parties to resist that temptation as it is counterproductive and does nothing to further our objective to be the most competitive state in the country.
“What’s important moving forward is that we all understand why these two parties could not reach an agreement so that we may play a role in rebuilding this relationship. In addition, we must bring all the necessary parties together in Olympia to reach agreement on removing the barriers that prevent new investment and job creation.”
UPDATED 4:38 PM: Boeing says that a final decision on the 787
line has not yet been made and reports regarding employee meetings are
“not true.”
UPDATE 4:27 PM: Word from Boeing Charleston: Mandatory managers meeting now scheduled for 5PM ET.
4:11 PM: SPEEA’s tweet just came across the ‘tubes’ and it reads:
Boeing calls emergency meeting for 787 employees in Everett.
According to SPEEA, the all-hands meeting was called at 12:30 PT and is apparently still underway right now.
SPEEA Executive Director Ray Goforth believes that it is connected the selection of a second 787 final assembly line.
I’m working all sources to find out more.
Anyone have more information? Prelude to a second line announcement?
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This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.