Its now clear that Charleston is destined for "other " things in Boeing's new facility landscape. Several other suitors have been given the never mind rejection notice. Even my own failure for Boise, ID created a chuckle somewhere in the halls of Chicago, IL corporate headquarters. Oh well, it was worth a shout out. But what I had ignored is that corrosive salt to the East of Boise. Salt Lake City, UT is about 20 years ahead of Boise in its industrialization progress. It has at many levels of industrialization and developed a Space and Aeronautical presence for rocket engine testing, airplane tails and composite making. Boeing has two hundred acres adjacent to the airport. Utah is non Union. Technology skills have inspired a can do attitude in the north to south I-15 valley.
The Seattle Times presented A Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce piece on why Boeing should expand in Salt lake City, UT. Boise is just a rail stop on the way to a deep water port on the coast. So I've concocted a new scheme for Boise, ID. The connection by freeway, rail and air is not lost on Boise. A connection for moving pre assembled large parts, spread from here to there could exist and make for a rolling assemble line until final assemble at the end of the supplier flow would be a new way to spread Boeing's foot print in a small region. Boeing could build 777X wings in Boise and ship it by rail in as little as 6 hrs to SLC area for its 777X assembly. Boise could also provide a short airlift hop to SLC from both the NW and Boeing at a rolling assembly of large parts within that corridor.
Salt Lake City has some congestion as most larger cities do as well. Boise could also provide a basis for adjunct computer manufacturing for its aircraft going east and west, connecting Boeing efforts from its subcontractors who manufacture component within the 777X frame. GE could have a foot print for its Jet propulsion lab as they have already tested Saturn B rocket engines in the area. There are so many possibilities from an intelligent and hard working workforce. As I have mentioned before, technology is what makes Boise hum and it could provide a down the road resource for SLC's already advanced manufacturing as a major metro manufacturing base.
The North West may have worn out its welcome where both Utah and Idahos could offer Boeing a New way of doing manufacturing with strategically located centers from SLC to the coast with stops in between. The manufacturing and supply chain comes from the Union Pacific railroad. Large capacity air freight is found along the way at various locations for moving time sensitive assemblies. It is about 300+ air miles from Boise to Salt Lake City and about 400 air miles from Boise to the NW. The supply chain is continuous from all destination whether by road, rail or air.
Even if Salt Lake City is Boeing's choice, then Boise could be a significant player with much to offer in a non union environment with lots of land available. A concideration for this would take a solid vision by Boeing when considering a rolling assembly centers from one end of the line to the other. Parts from all directions come to Salt Lake City from capable centers such as Boise or Las Vegas that could supply the final assembly if picking Salt Lake City for the 777X.
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