Oklahoma continues to showcase itself as a leader in aerospace. In September, Boeing announced plans to consolidate the majority of its defense services and support work in Oklahoma City from Washington state. This marks the third time in four years that Boeing has shifted jobs to Oklahoma from other locations. Since 2010, the company has moved more than 1,200 jobs to the state from Wichita, Kan., and Long Beach, Calif. The State of Oklahoma employs more than 120,000 in aerospace and defense.
The following is an excerpt from the Oklahoman article “Boeing could move 900 jobs to Oklahoma City” by Brianna Bailey.
Boeing could relocate about 900 defense and support-related jobs to Oklahoma City as part of a plan to shift defense-related jobs away from Washington state.
The aerospace company already employs 2,000 in Oklahoma City, and the latest expansion could represent nearly a 50 percent increase in its presence in the city, said Roy Williams, president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.
“Boeing sees a significant savings by operating here and also has seen a lot of synergy by consolidating a lot of their operations to one location,” Williams said. “They have to continue to drive costs down to be competitive, and Oklahoma City has been a really good economic decision productivity decision for them. It’s exciting to see that industry sector really continue to grow and flourish here.”
The company said late Monday that it would expand its presence in Oklahoma City as part of a plan to shift jobs away from Washington to Oklahoma City and St. Louis, as well as Jacksonville, Fla., and Patuxent River, Md. The transition could take up to three years to complete and affect about 2,000 employees, the company said. Once completed, about 900 positions could be added to Oklahoma City and up to 500 positions to St. Louis.
Photo by John Parker.
