Port Commission Endorses Statewide Effort on Boeing 7E7

The Port of Seattle Commission today joined the regional effort to persuade The Boeing Co. to manufacture its next generation airliner, the 7E7, in the State of Washington.

The Commissioners unanimously endorsed a resolution supporting the efforts of Washington State; King, Pierce and Snohomish counties; and regional business and labor leaders, to present a compelling and competitive proposal to secure the 7E7 assembly plant.

"As an agency whose role is to generate economic vitality in this region, the Port of Seattle wholeheartedly supports this effort," said Port Commission Chair Patricia Davis.

"Assembling the 7E7 here in Washington would create good-paying jobs not just at the factory, but throughout the region," Davis said. "This is not just about Boeing. The economic activity associated with the new assembly plant would help hundreds of small- and medium-sized businesses, help preserve and enhance our quality of life and provide the tax base we need to support vital public services."

Mic Dinsmore, CEO of the Port of Seattle, said the Port has a specific role to play. Many components of Boeing aircraft are imported through the Port of Seattle, supporting employment in transportation and trade related industries.

The decision to maintain the Puget Sound area as the center of airplane manufacturing is critical to our region, Dinsmore added. The steps outlined by business and state and local political leaders, along with Boeing officials, are exactly the right moves for Boeing and all businesses in the region.

They include education and transportation investments in an effort to improve the business climate in the state.

"This is about being competitive in the future for all kinds of businesses," Dinsmore said. "This is the kind of decision that comes along once in a generation. We need to build on the legacy left to us and provide a good economic future our children and grandchildren."