Boeing

The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) has concluded its purchase of Continental Graphics Corporation after receiving approval from government authorities in the U.S. and Germany. Continental Graphics becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing, reporting to the Commercial Aviation Services business unit of Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group (BCAG), and will continue to support existing customers on a "standalone" basis.

The acquisition of Continental Graphics, a leading provider of customized and specialized technical information to the aviation industry, helps Boeing accelerate its drive into the aviation services market. Boeing did not disclose financial terms.

Continental Graphics provides a wide range of customized information and documentation to airlines, including Illustrated Parts Catalogs, Provisioning/Procurement Data, Customized Fleet and Owner/Operator Catalogs, and Component Maintenance Manuals. Using 9,700 proprietary software programs, the company's 1,550 employees have developed an unsurpassed expertise in parts-related information management services.

"Our goal is to offer customers innovative solutions that help them operate more efficiently and effectively," said John Hayhurst, vice president of business development for Commercial Aviation Services. "Information management plays a crucial role in that, and Continental Graphics has the intellectual capital and technology that, when combined with our existing digital solutions, will accelerate our ability to develop and offer new electronic information management services."

Hayhurst said that matching existing Boeing expertise with Continental Graphics in the maintenance area, the Preston Group in air traffic management, and Jeppesen Sanderson in flight operations gives immediate maturity to Boeing's strategy of offering customers creative solutions that add real value.

"Information management services are going to play a crucial role in customer solutions," Curt Bourland, chairman and CEO of Continental Graphics. "We're delighted to join forces with Boeing to offer expanded services, together, to airlines."