Facility Will Be Responsible For Component Fit And Function

Boeing announced this production has "officially" begun on the 787 Dreamliner. Primary manufacture will occur at the company's production facility in Everett, WA... but its plant in San Antonio, TX will perform some modifications work on the first 11 planes.

That's going to require a larger workforce and Boeing has committed to hiring some 400 new employees for electronic and mechanical equipment installation, functional system testing, software upgrades, and wiring projects, according to the San Antonio Business Journal.

According to Boeing spokeswoman Deborah VanNierop, the San Antonio facility will be responsible for ensuring that all the components fit and function properly.

"We have performed very well on our current maintenance and modifications work on our military aircraft programs," she said. "We've become successful in eliminating waste through lean manufacturing processes. We've implemented a lot of procedures to make it efficient or cost-efficient (to keep planes operational)."

Texas Senator John Cornyn was pleased the company would be bringing so many new jobs to the area.

"This is more proof that companies recognize the quality of the San Antonio workforce," he said. "And that San Antonio and Texas are great places to do business. This is good news for the area and further evidence that the Texas economy is growing."

The shift to commercial aircraft will be a bit of a change for the San Antonio shop. The current 1,500 employees provide maintenance, repair and overhaul work on KC-10s, KC-135s and C-17s for the US Air Force.

FMI: www.boeing.com