The Boeing Charleston Factory located in North Charleston, South Carolina () is the East Coast manufacturing, assembly and delivery site for Boeing Commercial Aircraft. The site is located adjacent to the Charleston Air Force Base / Charleston International Airport.
The workers will have a 1,200,000 sq ft (110,000 m2) building to use for aircraft assembly. A separate 11,550-square-foot (1,073 m2) facility is being built where workers will spray airplane logos onto the aircraft tail-fins. A 36,894 sq ft (3,427.6 m2) security checkpoint and welcome center will be built at the intersection of International Boulevard and Michaux Parkway, Boeing's main entrance to the site.
The existing building, "The Hub", will be remodeled, doubling its size to about 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2). When finished it will include a large commercial kitchen, of approximately 5,000-square-foot (460 m2), for employees use. It will also contain a separate section for catering. In addition to the food services, the remodeled "Hub" will feature a medical clinic, human resources office and a retail shop.
Boeing also is in the process of building a separate plant for the construction of 787 aircraft parts to include overhead bins and cabin partitions. The factory will be located off of North Charleston's Palmetto Commerce Parkway.[1]
Contents |
The new factory is expected to spur the local economy in the wake of record-high unemployment rates, especially in the manufacturing industry. North Charleston mayor Keith Summey called the new factory the "reversal of the shipyard closing," alluding to the 1996 closure of the Charleston Naval Base and Shipyard that took a heavy toll on the local economy.[2] Boeing was offered an incentives package reportedly worth $450 million provided the company creates 3,800 jobs and invests $750 million over the next seven years.[3]
Later calculations determined that the state-offered incentives package will be worth in excess of $900 million in property and sales tax breaks and state bonds. State lawmakers stood by the deal, insisting that the boost to the local economy would justify an investment of this magnitude by the state.[4]
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner family currently has two models, the 787-8 and the 787-9. The 787-8 official rollout was on July 8, 2007 (7.8.07)
The aft fuselage sections 47 and 48, for the 787, are fabricated at the North Charleston site. Sections 44 and 46 are manufactured in Grottalie, Italy. Section 43 is fabricated by Kawasaki in Nagoya,Japan. Section 45/11 is fabricated by Fuji Heavy Industries in Nagoya,Japan. Two 747 Dreamlifter Cargo planes are stationed at Boeing Charleston for transporting components of the 787.