Boeing announed Thursday exactly where it will locate its new 787 Dreamliner interiors fabrication facility in North Charleston, close to the Boeing assembly plant. The company said in May that site would be somewhere in the North Charleston area. The operation is expected to create at least 150 new jobs.
Secretary of Commerce Joe Taylor says it’s just a first step in additional jobs to be created following the innitial Boeing announcement. He says the biggest immediate news is the creation of hundreds of construction jobs.
Construction of the facility is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2010.
The new site at Palmetto Commerce Park where developer Childress Klein has applied to build a 240,000 square foot building will be only 10 miles from Boeing’s 787 final assembly and delivery site in North Charleston. Officials say the close proximity of the two facilities will help improve the efficiency of the final assembly and delivery process in South Carolina.
Taylor says an investments by Boeing in South Carolina send a powerful message to the global marketplace that we have the strengths and capabilities to produce world-class products.
At the new facility, workers will manufacture storage bins, closets, partitions, class dividers, flight-crew rests, video-control stations and attendant modules.
Boeing also said Thursday that the first delivery of the plane may be moved to early 2011 because more inspections are needed and some instruments on the aircraft have to be changed.
(from Department of Commerce press release:)
Governor Mark Sanford says, “Since Boeing announced it would put down roots in South Carolina last fall, we’ve had continual reminders of just how momentous that decision was for our state’s economy. Since last October we’ve seen a number of aerospace-related companies choose South Carolina for new locations and expansions. The ‘ripple effect’ isn’t just rhetoric it has real-world implications with regard to jobs and capital investment. The news that Boeing will use a North Charleston facility to construct the interiors of the new Dreamliner, adding 150 new jobs, is the just the latest installment in a larger narrative of great economic news. Once again we’d thank the leadership at Boeing and say how much we value their presence in our state.”
“This is great news,” said U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. “I truly appreciate Boeing’s continued investment in South Carolina. Our citizens have made a strong commitment to Boeing and they have in turn made a strong commitment to South Carolina. We realize that the company’s success will reap benefits for the whole state. I look forward to continuing to work with Boeing in the years ahead.”
“Today’s announcement related to Boeing interiors is another example of the strong relationship between Boeing and the State of South Carolina. When our team sealed the deal with Boeing last fall, we knew that the spin-off effects would be monumental. And, I anticipate there will be other announcements to follow,” said Sen. Hugh Leatherman, chairman Senate Finance Committee, who was instrumental in landing the Boeing deal.
