Everett, Wash. will be the site where Boeing makes and connects the wings for its long-awaited 777x aircraft.
According to a Boeing company press release Tuesday, the aircraft manufacturer's new composite wing center will sit north of its current facility in Everett, and employ tons of people
"Locating the new composite wing center in Everett is a win for all of our teammates and partners," Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Ray Conner, CEO at Boeing Commercial Airplanes said in a statement. "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," Conner said in the statement.
Work on the one million square feet center is expected to start in 2014 the press release reported.
"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," Tom Buffenbarger, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said in a statement.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Engineers passed a contract for construction about where to build the company's latest aircraft Jan. 4 All Alabama reported.
The union originally did not agree to the terms of a deal in October which would have made their healthcare more expensive, eliminated their pension, and give Boeing a 20 year timeframe to construct the transporter. Union members will get $15,000 in bonuses for the $10 million endeavor All Alabama reported.
Boeing expects to begin fulfilling orders for the aircraft in 2020 the press release reported.
"Today's announcement signals the beginning of a new era of aerospace for Everett and Washington state," Ray Stephanson Mayor of Everett said in a statement. "The 777X and composite wing technology represent a wealth of opportunity - not just for Boeing and its workers - but also for our entire community. With our history and experienced workforce, Everett has earned its place at the forefront of this next phase of commercial aviation," Stephanson said in the statement.
