BOEING TO MANUFACTURE CERTAIN 787 INTERIOR PARTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA

KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 (Bernama) -- Boeing has chosen South Carolina as the
location for fabrication and assembly of airplane interior parts to supply the
787 Dreamliner final assembly and delivery site currently under construction in
North Charleston.

In a statement released here today, the aircraft maker said it was reviewing
potential sites for the new airplane interiors facility and anticipates making a
final decision by midsummer.

The new facility, Boeing Fabrication Interiors South Carolina, will be
located near the North Charleston final assembly and delivery site.

As many as 150 employees will work at the new interiors facility, which will
serve as an extension of the existing Interiors Responsibility Center in
Everett, Washington, leveraging the opportunities of a single, integrated
production system.

This decision was part of Boeing’s plan announced in 2009 to provide an
independent sourcing stream for 787 final assembly and delivery in South
Carolina, the statement added.

It said the close proximity of this new facility to Boeing’s Charleston site
would help improve the efficiency of the final assembly and delivery process in
South Carolina.

"By expanding Boeing’s footprint in South Carolina, we enhance our
existing
foundation with Boeing Charleston and further contribute to the growth of
aerospace in the region," said Ray Conner, vice president and general manager,
Supply Chain Management and Operations, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

"Ultimately, the decision we made in 2009 builds on our overall strategy to
successfully meet our 787 customer commitments and to optimize our production
capability," he added.

The Boeing Fabrication Interiors South Carolina team will manufacture 787
interior parts, including stow bins, closets, partitions, class dividers,
floor-mounted stow bins used by flight attendants, overhead flight-crew rests,
overhead flight attendant crew rests, video-control stations and attendant
modules.

"Recognizing the superior quality of the products and services provided by
our Interiors Responsibility Center in Everett, Boeing believes this extension
is an important step in ensuring that we maintain a high level of consistency
and quality in our production system," said Conner.

"In the long term, we are strengthening our position in the aerospace market
and ensuring that we remain competitive as a company," he said.

Located within the Boeing Everett complex, the Interiors Responsibility
Center is a focused area of excellence for the design, manufacture, assembly and
integration of a wide range of interior systems for production, aftermarket and
spares for Boeing commercial jets.

About 1,380 people work at the IRC producing products that include crew
rests, doors and doorway linings, overhead stow bins and floor-mounted stow
boxes, life raft boxes, closets and partitions, secure flight deck doors, video
control centers, purser work stations, dry galleys, ceilings, sidewalls,
decorative laminates and proximity lighting.

Engineering integration services provide customer interior solutions from
concept product design through project management and certification.

-- BERNAMA




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