Boeing

Boeing Awards Space Shuttle, ISS Subcontracts to Minority and Women-Owned Small Businesses

Boeing [NYSE: BA] is expanding the number of minority and women-owned small businesses that provide engineering and technical support services to NASA Systems programs in Houston.

The subcontracts together are valued at $150 -- $200 million over a five-year period and are effective Oct. 1, 2004 , and will support the Space Shuttle, International Space Station (ISS) and ISS Payload Integration programs. Seven Houston-based companies received the contract awards: Barrios Technology, Bastion Technologies, Blackhawk Management Corp., Cimarron, GB Tech, MRI Technologies and Muniz Engineering.

"These impressive companies are equipped with the knowledge and capabilities to exceed the expectations of our NASA and United Space Alliance customers, and to propel us to the next stage of space exploration," said Russ Carroll, director, Boeing NASA Systems Supplier Management & Procurement.

The announcement is the culmination of an extensive selection process including overall cost, management, technical expertise, past performance and risk management. A total of 23 companies bid on the work.

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 $27 billion 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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For further information:
Tanya E. Deason-Sharp
Boeing NASA Systems
(281) 226-6070
tanya.e.deason-sharp@boeing.com