Boeing Brings Seattle Back Into the Mix

In light of recent glitches in Boeing’s expansive international supply chain used to build the new 787 Dreamliners, Boeing is now committing to a serious reinvestment in their Puget Sound operations to help smooth out the production process. The Seattle Times reports that the expansion of the company’s manufacturing research center will bring 900 new jobs, and presumably more through new production at the Auburn plant.

That’s great news for Washington residents and aerospace fanatics. But does this move represent a failure of the company’s egregious outsourcing and supply chain management? It’s hard to say. Boeing’s new plans won’t bring back the larger pieces of the manufacturing operation - like horizontal wings and tips. The intention is to keep vital production elsewhere (in non-unionized states and overseas) on most 787 pieces so that worker strikes in Seattle won’t completely halt production. Still, in the words of a Boeing spokesman, the decision is “a reflection of Boeing's long-term commitment to the Puget Sound region.”

Meanwhile the company has begun work on its 1,000th 767. At the current rate we’re led to believe Boeing’s 787s will never reach that level. Production on 787s has already been pushed back three years. But who knows, with a new plan in place, it’s possible we’ll see some Dreamliners in the sky sooner, rather than later.