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Boeing Will Keep New Composite Wing Center Local

Boeing has decided to keep its composite wing fabrication local for its 777X aircraft targeted for delivery in 2020
Photo courtesy Boeing

EVERETT, Wash.—Boeing recently announced the selection of its Everett, Wash., site as the location for a new composite wing center for the 777X program. The new composite wing center will be located north of the Everett factory and will sustain thousands of Puget Sound area jobs for years to come, according to company officials.

"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, in a press release.

Boeing evaluated criteria that were designed to find the wing fabrication location that would best support the 777X business plan. Boeing selected the Everett site for 777X final assembly following the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 751 approval of an eight-year contract extension earlier this year. As part of the contract extension, the company agreed to fabricate the parts for, and assemble, the 777X composite wings in the Puget Sound region. After studying several options, the company determined that the Everett site will meet its business needs for fabrication and assembly.

"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, in a press release. "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 facility will support fabrication of the 777X composite wings and will be approximately one million square feet. Construction on the new facility is scheduled to begin later this year. Assembly of the composite wings will also take place at the company's Everett site, with the exact location to be determined in the months ahead.

"Today we gain certainty that Washington will remain the global leader in aerospace for decades to come," said Washington Governor Jay Inslee, in a statement. "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 777X builds on today's 777 and is said to offer more market coverage and revenue capability than the competition. First delivery is targeted for 2020, according to Boeing officials.