Sat, Nov 19, 2011
Says Washington State Is 'The Best Place In The World' To Build
The Airliner
Gov. Chris Gregoire has unveiled a series of action items
intended to ensure the Boeing 737 MAX, expected to support up to
20,000 direct and indirect jobs, is built and manufactured in
Washington state.
“There is no question that Washington state is the best
place in the world to build the Boeing 737-MAX jetliner,”
Gregoire (pictured) said announcing the strategy Thursday.
“And I believe that when all is said and done – Boeing
will make the best decision and build this game-changing aircraft
in this state. But I never take anything for granted –
especially in a global market where business can go anywhere at a
speed unknown even a decade ago.”
The governor’s strategy centers primarily around enhancements
to our state’s education system to ensure the aerospace
sector has the trained workforce necessary to succeed.
Gregoire’s proposal includes:
- Investing $450,000 to expand the governor’s Launch Year
program and provide 12 high schools with aerospace curriculum
support to prepare high school students to enter the workforce. The
investment would also provide two Skills Centers with aerospace
manufacturing support to help train additional high school
students;
- Spending $250,000 to add “Project Lead the Way”
courses at 10 high schools – courses where students learn to
problem-solve using their science, technology, engineering and
mathematics skills;
- Putting $7.6 million toward expanding capacity at the
University of Washington and Washington State University to enroll
775 more engineering students; and
- Investing $1.5 million, with additional support from companies,
foundations and donors, to create a Center for Aerospace Technology
Innovation at UW and WSU to support university research that will
grow the aerospace sector and lead to new jobs in our state.
Gregoire also proposed creating a new Governor’s Aerospace
Office to provide focus, direction, oversight and coordination to
grow Washington state’s aerospace industry. The office will
also gather industry intelligence to advise the governor in
advancing Washington’s competitiveness nationally and
globally. Additionally, Gregoire will ask the Legislature to extend
an existing aerospace tax incentive for pre-production expenses
from 2024 to 2034 to realign the lifespan of the incentive to match
the anticipated production duration of the 737-MAX.
“The 737-MAX is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our
state – and we have to go after it with all we’ve
got,” Gregoire said. “It’s likely the largest
manufacturing contract in the world for at least a decade.
Generations of Washingtonians – engineers, machinists and
managers – have built 737s and all the other world-class
Boeing planes. They are the foundation of our middle class and the
backbone of our economy.”
Gregoire’s action agenda follows the release of a competitive
analysis conducted by Accenture, one of the world’s premier
management consulting firms. The analysis determined what actions
or policy initiatives could be taken to improve the state’s
attractiveness to Boeing for the final assembly of the 737 MAX, and
to make long term investments for strengthening Washington
state’s aerospace cluster. Accenture examined
Washington’s competitiveness across a range of qualitative
factors, and conducted a thorough quantitative analysis of
Boeing’s potential return on investment from selecting a 737
MAX assembly site in eight states with existing or emerging
aerospace industries.
The action agenda follows a series of steps the governor
has taken during her administration to ensure a strong aerospace
industry in Washington state, including:
- Investing $3 million this past year alone in federal Workforce
Investment Act funds at her discretion to put Washingtonians to
work in aerospace;
- Over the past five years, investing $16.9 million to increase
math and science enrollments in the public four-year institutions,
and $5.8 million for aerospace training and apprenticeship programs
at the community and technical colleges;
- Proposing the largest reform in Washington’s
workers’ compensation system in its 100-year history. This
bipartisan package protects our workers and businesses, and saves
$1.1 billion over the next four years;
- Reducing unemployment insurance tax rates for 90 percent of
businesses in our state, including avoiding a rate increase of 36
percent for 65,000 small businesses. Savings of $300 million are
expected in the first year; and
- Making major investments in our state’s infrastructure,
including improvements to property, transportation systems and
airports.
“Thanks to Tayloe Washburn and the Washington Aerospace
Partnership for their work to ensure Washington is home to the 737
MAX,” Gregoire said. “Their work, and that of many
others, will help the state’s aerospace industry continue to
grow and thrive in the global economy.”
Boeing recently cut the ribbon on its South Carolina assembly plant
for the Dreamliner. That operation has been the topic of much
discussion in Washington, D.C. revolving around labor issues,
as well as a lawsuit brought against the National Labor Relations
Board by Judicial Watch.
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