Boeing $200 Million Expansion Continues
Boeing [NYSE: BA] officials dedicated a new 112,500 square feet flight test and ramp facilities as part of the company's $200 million investment in the ongoing competitiveness of its operations here.
The ceremony took place on Friday, May 21 and was attended by Senator "Kit" Bond (R-Mo) and Boeing Integrated Defense Systems President and CEO, Jim Albaugh.
"Just as our customers are changing the way they will meet their missions, Boeing will continue to transform itself to meet their needs," said Albaugh in an address to approximately 1,000 employees. "Boeing's investment of $200 million in this new ramp and flight test facility will allow us to provide our customer with the world's most capable fighter aircraft in support of their mission," he said, "keeping the United States free and the world safe."
Bond, a guest speaker at the ceremony, lauded the people who build the aircraft. "It is an honor to be here today with some of the most dedicated and skilled aerospace workers anywhere in the world," the senator said. "All of you can take tremendous pride in knowing that your efforts support directly our warfighters and enhance their chances of returning safely to their loved ones."
In the last two years, Boeing has opened two new facilities in this region: a C-17 sub-assembly facility and an expanded production line for Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). Construction of a new 65,000 square foot Virtual Warfare Center will open in 2005, increasing the company's capabilities in network-centric operations.
Working in partnership with its customers and focusing on network-centric, capability-driven solutions, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is transforming business and military operations to address a rapidly changing world. Along with C-17 and JDAM, Boeing produces F-15, F/A-18 E/F, T-45, Harpoon missiles and Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems at the St. Louis/St. Charles, Mo. regional facilities. Employing approximately 16,000 people, other programs and business co-located at the site include Future Combat Systems and the Phantom Works research and development business.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $27billion business. It provides systems solutions to its global military, government and commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; the world's largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world's largest satellite manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA's largest contractor; and a global leader in launch services.
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