Boeing on July 15 announced that it has chosen North Charleston, S.C., as the location for its new 787 Dreamliner interiors fabrication facility. In addition, Boeing will purchase land from Stone Mountain Industrial Park Inc. BRPH will design the facility, and Pattillo Construction will provide construction services. Employees at the facility will manufacture and assemble airplane interior parts.
"This decision is another significant step toward creating a solid aerospace presence for future generations to come in South Carolina," said Ray Conner, vice president and general manager, Supply Chain Management and Operations, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The selected location for our new interiors facility will provide us with the continued flexibility we need to leverage our production capability and meet the needs of our 787 customers."
The new fabrication factory will be 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Boeing's 787 final assembly and delivery site in North Charleston. The close proximity of the two facilities will help improve the efficiency of the final assembly and delivery process in South Carolina.
The interiors fabrication facility, which was first announced in May, is expected to create more than 150 new jobs.
At the new facility, the Interiors Responsibility Center South Carolina team will manufacture 787 interior parts, including stowbins, closets, partitions, class dividers, floor-mounted stowbins used by flight attendants, overhead flight-crew rests, overhead flight attendant crew rests, video-control stations and attendant modules.
Construction is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2010.
