Stonecipher Says Sale Isn't Imminent

Boeing Co. chief executive Harry Stonecipher tried to reassure workers in Kansas after rumors of an imminent sale of the company's Wichita facility surfaced last week. Boeing's top executive, however, refuses to commit to owning the Wichita facility permanently.

In conversations with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and four members of the Kansas congressional delegation, he didn't say a sale of the Boeing Wichita facility would never happen.

"You never rest easy," Sebelius said after speaking with Stonecipher.

Stonecipher arrived in Wichita on Tuesday night after two separate conference calls with Kansas political leaders earlier in the day. The calls were hastily arranged after a report in the Seattle Times on Sunday described a Boeing planning document that explores a sale of its Wichita plant.

"He assured me in no uncertain terms he has absolutely no intention of doing anything with the plant in Wichita except making sure that the business is sent here as promised," Sebelius said after a 20-minute telephone call with Stonecipher.

But Stonecipher also said the company continues to review its assets and wouldn't commit to permanent Wichita ownership. The possibility of a Boeing sale is "going to hang over us for some time," said Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard.

Tiahrt participated in a 20-minute call from Stonecipher with Sens. Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback and Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Hays. The call was taken in Tiahrt's Washington office. The visit was planned weeks ago, but the context of it changed dramatically after the Times report.

Tiahart said Stonecipher told lawmakers that even if a sale happened, it would only affect commercial operations; the company's military operations in Wichita, which employ about 30 percent of the plant, would remain part of Boeing. But Stonecipher would not make any other commitments to Boeing Wichita's long-range future other than to stress that the plant will always be important to Boeing in some capacity.

FMI:  www.boeing.com