Area Development
Boeing Company will locate a second assembly line for its 787 "Dreamliner" passenger jet in North Charleston, South Carolina, making a move away from its historical aircraft manufacturing base in Washington. The company says in a statement that the South Carolina facility currently performs fabrication, assembly, and systems installations for the rear fuselage sections. "Establishing a second 787 assembly line in Charleston will expand our production capability to meet the market demand for the airplane," says 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." The company did not release information regarding job creation at the site, but South Carolina governor Mark Sanford says in a statement that the expansion should create an infusion of jobs and capital investment. The Associated Press (AP) reports that the decision was somewhat expected after workers at the North Charleston facility voted last month against continued union representation by the International Association of Machinists. AP also says that the state has offered Boeing $170 million in incentives, including sales tax relief on items such as fuel used in test flights.