Washington jobs won and lost from Boeing Wichita closure

One hundred jobs from the Puget Sound-area Boeing Business Jet operation will move to Oklahoma. Pictured above: the first delivery of a 737-based BBJ to a subsidiary of Beijing Airlines, in May 2011.

The closure of Boeing?s Wichita plant and subsequent reshuffling will be a mixed bag for Washington, adding about 200 new jobs to the Puget Sound region, but removing another 100.

The 200 new jobs will come from moving finishing work on the 767-based Air Force tankers from Wichita to this area, said Mark Bass, vice president and general manager, Maintenance, Modifications & Upgrades Division for the Boeing Co.?

The 100 lost jobs, which will move to Oklahoma City, will be people who support aircraft built to carry top U.S. government officials and similar aircraft for wealthy individuals. The latter are called Boeing Business Jets.

Bass said Boeing (NYSE: BA) had not yet determined where in the Puget Sound region it will finish the tankers.

In his remarks, during which he was repeatedly pressed by Wichita journalists about breaking faith with Kansas leaders who had supported winning the tanker contract, Bass said Boeing?s decision was caused by dropping defense budgets and by inefficiencies in Wichita.

That facility operates 2 million square feet in 97 buildings, and couldn?t compete in a toughening environment, he said.

?Despite the best efforts of Wichita employees, cost reduction efforts aren?t enough to make Wichita competitive to win new business,? he said, adding that keeping the facilities there would cause Boeing?s market share to ?slowly erode.? ...

The closure of Boeing?s Wichita plant and subsequent reshuffling will be a mixed bag for Washington, adding about 200 new jobs to the Puget Sound region, but removing another 100.

The 200 new jobs will come from moving finishing work on the 767-based Air Force tankers from Wichita to this area, said Mark Bass, vice president and general manager, Maintenance, Modifications & Upgrades Division for the Boeing Co.?

The 100 lost jobs, which will move to Oklahoma City, will be people who support aircraft built to carry top U.S. government officials and similar aircraft for wealthy individuals. The latter are called Boeing Business Jets.

Bass said Boeing (NYSE: BA) had not yet determined where in the Puget Sound region it will finish the tankers.

In his remarks, during which he was repeatedly pressed by Wichita journalists about breaking faith with Kansas leaders who had supported winning the tanker contract, Bass said Boeing?s decision was caused by dropping defense budgets and by inefficiencies in Wichita.

That facility operates 2 million square feet in 97 buildings, and couldn?t compete in a toughening environment, he said.

?Despite the best efforts of Wichita employees, cost reduction efforts aren?t enough to make Wichita competitive to win new business,? he said, adding that keeping the facilities there would cause Boeing?s market share to ?slowly erode.?

He added that Boeing did not make the decision to close the Wichita facility until December, after analyzing a study it started last summer.

STEVE WILHELM covers manufacturing, aerospace and trade for the Puget Sound Business Journal. Phone: 206-876-5427 | Email: swilhelm@bizjournals.com | Twitter: stevewilhelm108 Click here to sign up for the PSBJ Daily Update.

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