Aircraft manufacturer unveils expanded facilities to meet future production demands

Boeing officially unveiled its new building expansion Friday, Aug. 10, with a sparking cider toast and a ceremonial ribbon seemingly resist to oversized scissors.

The opening marked a two-year, $200 million project, designed to not only streamline the Gresham facility’s manufacturing processes, but also demonstrates Boeing’s future presence in the community.

“I want to thank our 1,750 employees,” said Perry Moore, general manager for the Gresham plant. “They have been doing an amazing job with all our programs. Without their dedication and commitment, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Boeing announced plans to expand their facilities in early 2010. A new 64,000 square-foot processing plant would replace an aging chemical processing tank line, which dated back to the early 1960s, while a 34,000 square-foot fabrication area would allow higher production for the dramatic increase in 737 aircraft orders.

The company operates 12 fabrication sites throughout the United States, each with their own niche in the parts manufacturing process. Gresham’s plant produces gear boxes, structural components for wing assemblies, flight controls and engine mounts for all of Boeing’s commercial aircraft. Referred to as “complex machining,” Gresham’s site is the largest of Boeing’s manufacturing plants.

A complete story about Boeing’s expansion will appear in the Tuesday, Aug. 14 edition of The Outlook.